EuroHealthNet Annual Seminar 2022 ‘Growing strong in times of crisis – Investing in wellbeing and health equity for young and old’

Our societies are currently at a crossroads. Demographic change, growing inequalities, the climate crisis, COVID-19, and the impacts of the war in Ukraine are all having a negative impact on the health and well-being of our societies. These challenges are straining public resources and the social fabric of our communities. How can we overcome these issues and grow stronger in times of crisis?  

The early years and later years of life are crucial stages in the life-course. How we approach health and wellbeing during these phases has a direct impact on the long-term resilience of our health systems and our wider societies. We must prioritise health equity and wellbeing among children, youth, families and older people to ensure they have the essential conditions and resources to thrive, setting them up for lifelong health and wellbeing. Alternative economic and care models, such as the Economy of Wellbeing – as well as socially-conscious public and private investments offer the potential to grow stronger and more sustainably out of the current crises.

This in-person seminar will gather experts and policy makers to explore the necessary conditions in which all members of society, including young and older people, feel like capable and valued members of their immediate and wider communities. New and innovative approaches and investments will be presented, in the context of current European policy developments, and with a critical focus on their impacts on health equity. Discussions will be centred around the following themes:

Securing conditions for health equity and wellbeing in childhood and adolescence in times of uncertainty    

Prioritising public investments for healthy and active ageing in the wake of multiple crises

Exploring how we can turn our current uncertainties into opportunities for strength, through concepts like the Economy of Wellbeing

Read the report of the seminar here.