Conference on health information and communication

EPHA participated in an conference organised by Italian Presidency and the European Commission on 3-4 September 2003 on "Healthy lifestyles: education; information and communication" in Milan.

Several points were highlighted in the conclusions of this meeting:

 impact of lifestyles on health; issues such as tobacco, alcohol abuse, overweight and obesity, cardiovascular diseases and other diet-related diseases and decrease of breast-feeding.

 conclusions on factors influencing lifestyle; biological, cultural, environmental; economic and social factors influence lifestyle. Credible approaches to health promotion through lifestyles improvement need to take into account all those determinants.

 conclusion on monitoring lifestyles; exchange of experience at European level on methodologies presently in use and strengthening of national and community monitoring systems are highly desirable.

 conclusion on the role of education, information and communication in relation to lifestyles; European citizens should be effectively empowered to take a more possitive and responsible role in adopting health-conductive lifestyles.

The conclusions of this meeting were the base for the debate of the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Health (5-6 September).