General Secretary for R+D+i, Isaac Túnez, had a meeting with ASPHER President and with Director-Manager of the Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública

The General Secretary for Research, Development and Innovation in Health, Dr. Isaac Túnez Fiñana, the Director-Manager of the Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública, SA, (EASP – Andalusian School of Public Health, Ltd.), Dr. Blanca Fernández-Capel, and the President of the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Professor John Middleton, met on 9 April 2021 to answer the latter’s questions in order to clarify and understand planning regarding the role of the EASP in the draft law creating the Instituto Andaluz de Salud (IAS).

The Consejería de Salud y Familias has reassured ASPHER that the EASP, as well as its functions would remain open as a critical public health research and education resource in Granada, keeping the School’s identity and public health agenda while maintaining its relationships to disciplines outside of the biomedical sphere and with the community. Moreover, the creation of the new structure of the IAS will offer continuity and greater stability to the staff and faculty of EASP. Prof. Middleton was pleased to have the opportunity to fully discuss his concerns.

This draft law aims to create the Instituto Andaluz de Salud as a Public Agency of the Junta de Andalucía by merging the Andalusian Public Foundation Progress and Health and the Andalusian School of Public Health, Ltd.  Furthermore, the current General Secretary for Research, Development and Innovation will also be integrated in the Institute. The growing relevance of research and development in public health makes necessary the creation of both dynamic and efficient structures driving the improvement of high-quality knowledge. Professor Middleton looks forward to learning more about how the training and research agenda of EASP will be developed in relation with integrated centres of the proposed structure. He will stay in touch with Salud y Familias to follow the dynamics of the creation of IAS, while ASPHER is ready to lend support for planning and improvement.

Andalucía, 14 April 2021

PDF versions of this statement release are available for download in English and Spanish.