Improving Health and Well-being through an Integrated Societal Approach was the theme chosen for the biennial symposium organised on the 24-25th November 2023 by the Malta Association for Public Health Medicine in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and the Department of Health Systems Management and Leadership of the University of Malta, as well as the Malta Health Network.
The conference brought together experts from a wide range of fields both within and outside health to discuss the role every one of us has in improving health and well-being and strategies for improving health outcomes, with a focus on an integrated societal approach. Our health is determined by individual factors, healthcare accessibility and delivery as well as societal determinants outside of health.
Keynote speakers included Prof Simone Borg, Ambassador for Climate Action who addressed the audience about the priority for action needed on the effect of climate change on health and how one can apply lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in addressing climate change. This includes preparedness, basing decisions on scientific evidence, and as with the COVID-19 pandemic the need for a multilateral approach and solidarity.
Other keynote speakers included Dr Marc van den Bulcke who leads the Cancer Services in Sciensano, Belgium on Public Health Genomics who spoke about the role of genomics in the innovative approach to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer and other diseases through personalised medicine.
Prof Natasha Azzopardi Muscat who is the director of the Division of Country Health Systems Policies at the World Health Organization addressed current public health priorities facing countries and the public health tools needed. According to the European Programme of Work 2020-2025, three public health priorities include the need to strengthen universal health coverage, protect people against emergencies, and improve health and well-being. This requires a unified public health approach rather than siloed efforts, investment in digital transformation and public health research, focusing on health care quality and equity, workforce development, multisectoral planning, and community engagement amongst other responses needed.
Our final keynote speaker was Dr Miklós Szócska, Dean Faculty of Health and Public Administration, Budapest, Hungary who spoke about the important links between politics, policy-making and public health. This was followed by a panel discussion on Healthcare Policy, Politics, and the Patient Interface which included the Honourable Minister of Health and Active ageing Dr Jo Etienne Abela as an expert panelist.
The Symposium also included the presentation of work and research done by various healthcare professionals, academics, and students on several important public health themes. These included mental health and well-being, communicable and non-communicable diseases, healthcare access, utilization and cost, screening, and the workforce amongst other topics. A record of 96 abstracts were received for this symposium which was attended by around 200 persons.
The Symposium was partly funded through the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme, managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS), and supported by the Ministry for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights (MIVC).
The event was also supported by Multigas Ltd and APS Bank.
This project/publication reflects the views only of the author, and the MCVS cannot be held responsible for the content or any use which may be made of the information contained therein
Written by: Dr. Kathleen England
obo MAPHM Symposium Organising Committee