Public health in the eye of the storm : what can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic experience to strengthen public health services in Europe?

Abstract

Some months ago, a simple, yet powerful campaign known as ‘This is Public Health’ was launched. The campaign had the aim to brand public health and raise awareness of how public health affects individuals, families, communities and populations. It was a call to place public health under the spotlight. This campaign was strongly endorsed by the European Public Health Association. The need to refocus on public health was partly a response to the emerging evidence on the erosion of public health services subjected to budget cuts in several countries as part of the implementation of austerity measures. It was also a clarion call by the public health community, reinforcing earlier concerns about a growing health gap within and between countries and a need for a renewed commitment to the principles of the Ottawa Charter to make progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.