Forty years after the Ottawa Charter transformed public health thinking, a central insight remains vital: health is shaped not only by health care, but by the conditions in which people live, learn, work and age.
Climate change, widening inequalities, economic insecurity, social fragmentation and rapid technological change are reshaping societies – and raising pressing questions about how public policy can protect health and expand opportunity.
How can health promotion help countries build healthier, fairer and more sustainable societies?
To mark the Charter's 40th anniversary, WHO is bringing together political leaders, leading thinkers in public health and economics, and young people from across WHO regions for a discussion that reaches beyond the health sector.
Drawing on country experiences, participants will explore how the Charter’s principles can inform decisions about governance, investment and public policy – and how governments and partners can turn commitments to health, equity and sustainability into action.
The discussion will also examine approaches to measuring progress beyond economic output, asking how governments can better reflect people's health, well-being and quality of life in the decisions they make.
Programme and speakers to be announced.