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EuroHealth Publication: Health for a Stronger European Union: High Time for Action

Tuesday, 22 September 2026

The article “Public health diplomacy: Time to act for a stronger European Union” was published in  Eurohealth. Eurohealth, the official journal of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, provides a trusted platform for sharing evidence-based insights, policy perspectives, and discussions on health systems in Europe and around the world. Dean Ashish Joshi from the University of Memphis School of Public Health co-authored the recent publication.

This special issue of Eurohealth serves as a preview to the 2026 European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG), one of Europe’s leading forums for health policy dialogue. Centered on the theme, Health for a Stronger European Union: High Time for Action!, the issue highlights discussions on how health can strengthen the European Union’s resilience, unity, and ability to respond collectively to emerging challenges. Key topics include advancing the European Health Union, enhancing cross-border healthcare, leveraging health data and innovation, and addressing shared concerns such as climate change and health security.

Public health diplomacy is critical to advancing health priorities in an increasingly polarized Europe. The article emphasizes the need for public health leaders to engage strategically with political systems, combat misinformation, build cross-sector partnerships, and advocate for health across all policies. Aligned with the 2026 European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) theme, it demonstrates how diplomacy can strengthen the European Health Union and translate health policy goals into coordinated action and meaningful impact.

Contributors

Martin McKee is Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene; Tropical Medicine and Co-Director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London, United Kingdom.
Josep Figueras is Director Emeritus of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Brussels, Belgium.
Ramunė Kalėdienė is Executive Board Member and Public Health Diplomacy Lead at the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium, and Professor in the Department of Health Management at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Henrique Barros is Past President of ASPHER, Brussels, Belgium, and Professor at the Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Portugal.
Ayman El-Mohandes is Dean of the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, New York, United States.
Laura Magaña is President and CEO of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Washington, DC, United States.
Robert Otok is Director of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium.
Ashish Joshi is a Board Member of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Washington, DC, United States, and Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis, Tennessee, United States.

Link: Public health diplomacy: time to act for a stronger European Union

For any questions related to this publication, feel free to reach out to Dean Ashish Joshi at ashish.joshi@memphis.edu

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For Media Inquiries contact: SPHCommunications@memphis.edu
The Office of Communications at The University of Memphis School of Public Health