The Future of Advocacy in Public Health in Poland.

The Future of Advocacy in Public Health in Poland

The main objectives of the workshop were to:
 explore the mechanisms and possibilities for public health advocacy in Poland,
 to identify the gaps therein and the role of young professionals in taking it forward.

The workshop gathered young health professionals interested in public health and Civil Society dialogue. To encourage participation of Polish civil society organisations in the conference and the workshop, EPHA provided financial assistance to interested individuals. EPHA asked for their input into The Future of Advocacy in Public Health in Poland workshop. The call for applicants was disseminated in September 2009 through the EPHA Newsletter, EPHA partner organisations and informal networks. Five individuals were granted a scholarship and invited to give a presentation at the workshop. In total, the workshop gathered participants representing university medical departments, student associations, governmental public health units, public health not-for-profit organisations, and others. Dr. Andrzej Ryś, Public Health Unit Director at DG Sanco, joined the workshop.

After welcoming the participants, EPHA’s Secretary General, Monika Kosińska, introduced the topic.

To give a background on public health advocacy in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Dorota Sienkiewicz from EPHA presented the main findings of her recent qualitative study on Civil Society participation. In addition, Dorota Sienkiewicz spoke of the challenges and opportunities for advocating in the field of public health in two CEE countries - Poland and Hungary.

The presentation was a starting point for discussion, and showed the topic is relevant to Polish health professionals and should be advanced.

A variety of subjects were discussed, highlighting the complexities of advocating for public health in Poland - facing institutional and generation problems. Furthermore, the field of public health is still relatively new in Poland.

There is a lack of exchange of good practices between countries in the region. In addition, associations that could potentially serve as umbrella organisations compete rather than collaborate. Those present identified the need for investment (in terms of money, time and effort) both in young health professionals and Civil Society Organisations in order to bring institutional and integration changes.

During the discussion, the speakers who EPHA financed gave their presentations, which included the following topics:
 medical students’ understanding and experiences of advocating for public health,
 empowering Polish nurses and midwives, and
 the WHO-Poland experiences in advocacy.

Dr. Andrzej Ryś’s presence encouraged trust-building between participants and confidence at the institutional level. This is due to his recognition of current gaps in public health in Poland, as well as, several priorities he identified for the future action.

EPHA’s follow-up strategy for further capacity building in advocating includes:
 1. The organisation of workshops, at the EU level with key Polish policy makers, and participants.

 2. The creation of capacity-building training manual.

 3. The publication of a report on Civil Society in the region, EPHA’s qualitative research, and policy recommendations.

Follow-up has to continue to foster the enthusiasm, hope and trust that were present during discussions.

EPHA Related Articles
 Call for applicants - financial support available for participation in the Annual Public Health Conference