"Be Healthy, Be Yourself": conference on the health of young people.

Youth is key phase in life, when decision making on one’s lifestyle has a huge impact on the health over the lifecourse.

The "Be Healthy, Be Yourself" conference gathered 200 young participants from across the Europe, many representatives of public health organisations, as well as a wide range of other actors. Among the key speakers at the event was H.R.H. Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Robert Madelin, Director General of DG Health and Consumers, Tine Radinja, President of the European Youth Forum and Martin Hirsch, French High Commissioner for Youth.

In her opening, Commissioner Vassiliou said we are here to ’listen, learn, motivate’, ’we depend on you, the next generation to lead us into a healthier future’. The initiative aimed to:
 listen to young people and involve them in the decision making process about their health;
 generate commitment from stakeholders to improve the health of young people;
 generate renewed and effective action across EU policy areas and at national level to improve the health of young people;
 involve young people more closely in EU work on public health and
 support Member States’ activities on the health of young people.

During the conference several themes were explored including:
 communicating health issues at an individual and society level;
 creating healthy environments - in particular with regard to nutrition and physical activity, mental health and well-being, and exposure to environmental stressors;
 learning to deal with health risky behaviour - through formal education, communication tools and active participation;
 the health of young people at workplace;
 education as a driver for a better health;
 promoting health through social/youth network and non-formal education.

EPHA was represented at the event and its secretariat representative chaired the "No Limits. Learning how deal with risks" session and gave a speech in the "Education as a driver for better health" one. The EPHA representative was also part of the final reporting panel of the conference, which presented the conclusions of the event to Commissioner Vassiliou.

In her closing speech, Mrs Vassiliou invited all participants to join her efforts in empowering and involving young people, addressing inequalities and vulnerable groups, communicating better health and mainstreaming these principles across European health policy. There needs to be more done in particular in the field of mental health and sexual and reproductive health of young people. She pointed out that the event like that one proved successful involvement of the youth, ability to form a collective voice and she expressed the need to take the key messages forward - not just good ideas flying up in the air without any concrete follow-up.

The Youth Camp

A pre-conference major element was the Youth Camp, organised by DG SANCO and facilitated by the main partner for the initiative - European Youth Forum. Held just before the conference itself (on 8-9 July), it intended to prepare the young people to effective participation in the conference to follow.

Notably, EPHA delivered an key note speech on public health. Moreover, EPHA’s secretariat contributed to the facilitation of two workshops. Several members of EPHA undertook similar roles in the running of other workshops on health determinants:

 Alcohol (facilitated by Eurocare);
 Communication Tools (facilitated by Ligaris);
 Global Health (facilitated by EPHA);
 Health and Environment (facilitated by HEAL);
 Health Inequalities (facilitated by FEANTSA and EPHA);
 Mental Health (facilitated by MHE);
 Sexual and Reproductive Health (facilitated by IPPF-EN);
 Tobacco (facilitated by Smokefree Partnership).

Young people from across Europe participated in many various activities intended to prepare the delegates for the conference, to discuss their views and prepare their input for each theme of the conference. First and foremost, however, its main intention was to get the youth inspired to take action, through these interactive and dynamic activities.

By coming to Brussels for these few days young people took the opportunity to express their health concerns, what they find important and to show how they like it to be addressed. The event was also introduced at a very opportune moment - new European Parliament was being elected at that very moment. As health and socio-economic status remain inextricably linked, the issue of the current financial crisis echoed throughout many of the debates. In times of recession, cheaper, lower quality food, mental health problems and increased prevalence of chronic diseases, impact on public health systems in many countries across EU.

For more information
 Youth Health Initiative Be Healthy, Be Yourself on the Public Health Portal of the EU
 European Youth Forum

EPHA related articles
 The EU Strategy for Youth: European Commission recognises health as key field of action
 First EU Youth Report tackles health as a policy area relevant for young people