Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Senior lecturer at the Department of Health Services Management and Joint Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Health Systems and Policies in Small States hosted by the Islands and Small States Institute, was the invited international keynote presenter at the Annual scientific meeting of the Austrian Public Health Association. This year’s event, Health in all Societies, was organized in Vienna between the 23 and 24 May. Dr Azzopardi Muscat, who is President European Public Health Association (EUPHA), delivered a presentation on European Public Health Perspectives.

She outlined how European Public Health has advanced considerably over the past 25 years since the European Union was given a formal mandate to address public health issues and complement the actions of individual Member States. Whilst the research community and work in public health in Europe has grown, public health practitioners are facing considerable challenges in implementing research evidence in practice to improve population health at national and local levels in several countries. This is a result of a combination of factors including changing political landscapes, the after-effects of the financial crisis, socio-demographic shifts and new ways of communication.

There has also been a growing sense of complacency that in Europe the major health scourges have been addressed with major increases in life expectancy having been achieved. The reality is that increases in life expectancy have been differentially distributed both between and within European countries. Health inequalities remain an important issue and are becoming a threat to societal cohesion.

Risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol consumption and poor diets remain hugely important contributors to reductions in both life expectancy, disease burden and quality of life. Besides these traditional threats, Europe is also facing new public health threats such as social media impacts on mental health in adolescents and loneliness in the elderly. The resurgence of measles in several European countries is just one example of the way in which public health issue remain of high relevance.

Dr Azzopardi Muscat explained how there is however a risk that public health at European level is being gradually squeezed out. This risk is made more real with the discourse at European level being one where health is viewed as a ‘small’ thing and something that can be dealt with effectively at individual country level. Furthermore, specific initiatives such as vaccination or health technology assessment whilst both important and commendable, are being prioritised in the absence of a fuller societal approach to health improvement with an explicit commitment to address the political and commercial determinants of health.

The European Union though its policies and programmes has the potential to shape the health and well-being of millions of EU citizens, citizens of neighbouring European countries as well as persons living further afield in other continents. The World Health Organisation, has made the pursuit and implementation of the sustainable development goals a top priority but it needs Europe engaged as an active and committed partner to deliver this ambitious agenda successfully.

Dr Azzopardi Muscat appealed to public health professionals in Austria to seize the window of opportunity offered over the next six months as Austria takes on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union to ensure that health remains a priority within Europe post 2020.