On 11 November 2025, a pre-conference session organised by the consortium of the Joint Action PreventNCD project will take place at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, as part of the 18th European Public Health Conference (EPH Conference 2025). The session is entitled: “Healthy settings, healthy lives: advancing the Settings Approach in health promotion (HPRO)”.
The EPH Conference – the largest European public health conference, will be held on 11-14 November 2025 in Helsinki. This year’s edition focuses on viewing health and wellbeing as an investment rather than a cost. Its aim is to demonstrate that investing in population health supports social, economic and environmental development, while a healthy planet and equitable societies strengthen the wellbeing of individuals and communities.
The session organised by JA PreventNCD will focus on the role of settings for everyday life – such as schools, workplaces and public institutions – in shaping health and wellbeing. Participants will discuss how to create health-promoting environments that are more accessible, equitable and sustainable.
The session programme will include, among others:
- examples of implementing the settings approach in various European countries,
- innovative solutions supporting health in workplaces and educational settings,
- cross-sectoral cooperation for healthy environments,
- the role of local governments and communities in promoting health,
- equality in access to a healthy environment.
Katarzyna Brukało, PhD, Associate Professor, will take part as a panelist in a discussion titled “Future-forward settings: innovation, inclusion and intersectoral collaboration”, held during the pre-conference on 11 November 2025. The discussion will focus on innovative and inclusive approaches to creating healthy environments conducive to the prevention of NCDs, and will also serve as a space for reflection following the preceding thematic workshops.
In addition, there will be a Health4EUkids project meeting during the conference, with Justyna Nowak, PhD, and Katarzyna Brukało, PhD, Associate Professor, representing the Medical University of Silesia.
The conference will bring together experts, representatives of European institutions and public health practitioners. It will serve as an opportunity to exchange experiences, present research results and jointly explore solutions for more effective NCD prevention in Europe.