EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH VOL. 12 2002 NO.

directly contribute to facilitate and
improve common European-wide en-
deavours in health services research.
Wilhelm Kirch,
EUPHA president 2003
1 Badura B, Schaeffer D, v. Troschke J.
Versorgungsforschung in Deutschland:
Fragestellungen und Foerderbedarf (Issues in
Health Services Research). Zeitschrift für
Gesundheitswissenschaften / J Public Health
2001;9:294-311.
Public Health and Management:
achievements and prospects
All European countries find themselves
having to address problems arising from
both the need to guarantee and promote
the health of the population in general,
and the growing limitations of available
to pay doctors, biologists, nurses,
technical staff and other professionals,
nor is it possible to buy new and updated
scientific instruments. A lack of
financial resources also makes it im-
possible to implement effectively pre-
vention programmes and to administer
the latest generation of drugs (highly
effective, but also highly costly) in
addition to the inability to build new
centres specifically dedicated to
prevention, diagnosis, cure and re-
habilitation activities.
Studies of Organisational Economics
applied to the health sector have pro-
posed, in recent decades, two principles
that are relevant for the analysis and
interpretation of the current situation:
That of ‘complexity’ according to
which, the capacity to adequately
That of ‘economic viability’ of
organisations in which, such complex
activities are carried out or where col-
laboration between numerous indi-
viduals is essential: economic viability
refers to the “capacity to reliably carry
out organisational functions (in the case
of health providers, the function is to
ensure proper health services) over a
sustained period of time using the
financial resources available”.
These interpretations are not foreign
to the culture of Public Health
professionals, but do not appear to be
sufficiently ordered or defined. The next
EUPHA conference, to be held in Rome
from 20–22 November 2003, shall put
these necessities at the centre of its
proceedings with particular attention
paid to the field of health service

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financial resources. In wealthier
European countries, there are mounting
difficulties in satisfying the increasing
qualitative-quantitative demand for
public health services against the in-
evitable political pressure to introduce
restrictions on excessive public ex-
penditure.
European countries that have in-
itiated efficient economic development
processes (especially Eastern European
ones) are experiencing significant
difficulties in delivering higher quality
of public health services compared to
the increased consumption levels of
other services.
In European countries hit by eco-
nomic crisis and in those still in a
condition of transition (for example,
some republics of the ex-Soviet Union),
one can even observe a step backwards
in the quality of public health services
thus making any escape from the lack
of essential services a continuing im-
possibility.
This scenario indicates that the eco-
nomic variable is increasingly becoming
the main contributory factor towards
the widening gap between “that which
might be done to guarantee health on
the basis of current scientific know-
ledge” (potential response to user needs)
and “that which can realistically be
done” (actual levels of assistance
achieved).
For those operating in Public Health,
it is not a just matter of discussing the
different ‘dimensions’ that constitute
the ‘Health’ theme (scientific, techno-
logical, social, economic, ethical and
moral) but rather one of accepting the
problem of economic sustainability as a
fact. If adequate financial resources are
not made available, it just isn’t possible
respond to health problems, at least to management, food safety and the pre-
relevant ones, depends ever less on the vention of and reaction to artificial
actions of the single individual or of catastrophes, with the aim of taking
single professionals, and more on the another step forward towards the
contribution and collaboration of a harmonisation of European Public
multi-disciplinary team comprising Health practices.
various professionals each possessing a Walter Ricciardi,
particular skill or knowledge within the EUPHA president-elect
institution.
SHORT COURSE:
Multilevel Modelling in
Public Health and Health
Services Research
at The University of Glasgow, Scotland
24-28 March 2003
Course instructors:
Alastair H Leyland (MRC Social and Public Health
Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow)
Peter P Groenewegen (Nivel Netherlands Institute of
Health Services Research)
The course has three components:
• A series of lectures provides a basic theoretical and
methodological introduction to multilevel modelling.
• Computing classes give practical experience of
multilevel data analysis and software.
• Assignments allow participants to relate the course
to their areas of research.
For further details and an application form go to
www.msoc-mrc.gla.ac.uk/MLcourse.html or e-mail
MLcourse@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk
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 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH VOL. 12 2002 NO. 4

11th ANNUAL EUPHA MEETING 2003

Globalisation and Health in Europe:

harmonising public health practices
ROME, ITALY
Europe Congress Centre of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

20–22 November 2003

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The purpose of this meeting is to provide a forum for the European public health community to
explore methods to respond to the new challenges linked to global integration. As the factors that
affect human health have a global reach, the national and regional structures in place to address
them have been unable to respond. International co-operation in public health problems becomes
essential when the responses address a threat to health that crosses national boundaries. Effective
policies will require concerted international action. This meeting provides a possibility to discuss
international co-operation and explore possibilities of international, concerted action.

The major topics of the 2003 meeting are:

health consequences of (man-made) disasters
food safety in Europe
globalisation and health services management
public health practice: European wide co-ordination and exchange of information and knowledge
health services management
monitoring of health care
medical sociology
epidemiology
social medicine
molecular biology and public health
environmental hygiene
health services research
work site health management

PLENARY SESSIONS WITH INVITED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

o Prof. Simon Wessely, Guy’s King’s and St Thomas School of Medicine, United Kingdom
Consequences on health of man made disasters
o Prof. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission
The role of the European Commission in the health sector
o Prof. Martin Mckee, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
Globalisation and health
o Prof. Tim Lang, Wolfson School of Food Sciences, Thames Valley University, United Kingdom
Food safety in Europe
o Prof. Kenneth Lee, Centre for Health Services Management, Keele University, United Kingdom
Health services management and public health
o Prof. Ferdinando Romano, Chairman Italian Institute for Nutrition, Italy
Nutrition and food safety

For more information and regular updates, please check: www.eupha.org

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