PDPC represented at World Congress on Public Health

From May 2-6 the World Congress on Public Health (WCPH) took place in Rome, Italy. The theme of the Congress was ‘A World in Turmoil: Opportunities to Focus on the Public’s Health’, focusing on promoting sustainable health equity and taking an interdisciplinary approach to tackle global public health challenges. PDPC colleagues Nora Bünemann, Valérie Eijrond and Medical Director Anja Schreijer attended the event organised by the World Federation of Public Health Associations.

In line with the theme, Nora Bünemann and Valérie Eijrond presented the Underserved Groups project. This project aims to develop tailored interventions for ‘underserved groups’ during pandemics. Bünemann and Eijrond discussed which underserved groups they identified and the group’s barriers and drivers towards COVID-19 vaccination, testing and non-pharmaceutical measures.

‘The one-size-fits-all policy and practice approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic did not reach certain population subgroups. There is a necessity for targeted public health interventions based on their beliefs and needs’, said Valérie Eijrond.

Nora Bünemann called for collaboration: ‘Translating behavioural insights into action remains a challenge calling for an interdisciplinary approach.’