European Health Forum Gastein (EuroHealthNet speaking)

This year's European Health Forum Gastein's theme is 'Rethinking solidarity in health: healing Europe’s fractured social contract.'

The social contract is a shared understanding that binds individuals, families, communities, workplaces, and institutions. It underpins the cohesion of societies through mutual obligations, such as caregiving, paying taxes, and supporting public services. Solidarity, a key component of this contract, is essential for collective well-being. However, in today’s polarised world, this social contract is under threat due to politicised immigration, disinformation, and a disconnect between people and politics. To restore trust and solidarity, the healing process must begin within the health sector, which is uniquely positioned to address these issues.

EuroHealthNet will actively participate in the conference, speaking at multiple sessions on solidarity, health, and public policy. These include:

• Session 4: Social, green, and arts prescriptions for health: Harnessing the power of community interventions for well-being. This session is organised by the Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being in collaboration with EuroHealthNet. The discussion will spotlight evidence-based strategies to scale non-medical approaches across Europe. It will also examine how such interventions can rebuild trust, foster inclusion, and promote sustainability in health.
• Session 6: Climate change and health inequalities: Protecting the health of the most vulnerable from climate threats. EuroHealthNet will speak at this session, which will explore how climate change amplifies individual and collective vulnerabilities and increases health-related pressures across different local communities and healthcare systems, in order to understand the course of action needed to reduce impacts in vulnerable groups.
• Session 14: Health for people in vulnerable situations: New approaches to tackling health and inequality in the European social pillar: This workshop will be moderated by EuroHealthNet, exploring more effective, non-stigmatising clinical and policy-level solutions that can contribute to improving trust in health systems and to rebuilding the social contract.

The EHFG's full agenda is available here.