The Annual European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG 2019) took place from the 2nd - 4th of October at Bad Hofgastein with its wonderful scenery of mountains. But prior to the gathering of prominent stakeholders and actors to join the EHFG, a much exciting event started on the 1st of October, the second edition of the EHFG 2019 Hackathon. I was selected to join the EHFG 2019 Hackathon as an expert, and I am sharing my reflections on the experience over the course of 4 days (3 days being an intense solution-oriented marathon).

ASPHER would like to congratulate Mariya Gabriel of Bulgaria, who was selected for Commissioner for Innovation and Youth by European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen.

On Tuesday, 10 September 2019, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented her selected team to lead her programme ‘for a Union that strives for more’ and released her Mission Letter to Commissioner-designate for Health, Stella Kyriakides of Cyprus. Dr. Kyriakides is a medical psychologist with many years of experience in the field of social affairs, health and cancer prevention. 

Commentary from John Middleton, President of ASPHER

The Andrija Stampar Summer Educational and Tutoring School (ASSETS), being the first event of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region  (ASPHER) - Public Health Training Academy (PHTA), was launched at Brussels in July 2019, with nine promising young public health professionals attending the week long mentoring summer school.