NEWSLETTER September 2026
After a short summer break, the EHFF Newsletter is back again to keep you informed on the latest trends about the Future of health in Europe!
From the editor
Health promotion as a foundation for long-term human wellbeing
A personal reflection post International Democracy Day
Following the International Democracy Day, I found myself reflecting on how we understand and evaluate the systems that shape our lives. We broadly share that democracy is the more desirable political system. But can we tell ourself the same about the healthcare system? Healthcare is necessary, but healthcare alone is not an adequate system for producing and sustaining population health.
September 15th was marked by the International Democracy Day. In Brussels, at the European Economic and Social Committee, European and International organisations gathered to discuss about strategic alliances, information integrity, democratic innovation, and youth leadership, closing with reflections from across the democracy support community. I was there, listening to the opening remarks by Ambassador Luke Feeney (Representative of Ireland to the Political and Security Committee of the European Union on behalf of the Irish Presidency), and the first debate on ‘Democracy as a Strategic Enabler: Building Alliances and Inclusive Investment in a New World Order’ moderated by Kevin Casas-Zamora (Secretary-General at International IDEA).
Two things caught my attention: Fernando Sampedro Marcos (State Secretary for the European Union, Spanish Council of Ministers) clearly argued that the EU should adopt the same stance towards Palestine as it has towards Ukraine; the shared need for greater investment in democracy, to protect and safeguard its values.
As one my university professors used to say, democracy is not a perfect system, but it is the more desirable one. Protecting it and ensuring its resilience and endurance over time, with the right adaptations and evolutions, is something worth investing in for the wellbeing of people.
But the same does not necessarily apply to health. As of today we are living in a world where healthcare is considered the standard of care. If someone becomes ill, they should receive the appropriate available treatment. The systems relies into a cause-effect approach, where solutions are not necessarily investigated upon their roots, but treated after the facts, and very often superficially. Health care, health prevention, and health promotion are very different terminologies, and we cannot say that among the others, health care is the more desirable one.
As my friend and colleague Karl Baumann already expressed in his articles (The philosophy of a healthy and thus sustainable (global) society; Global health is the path and will deliver global peace; Why “healthy and thus sustainable” society?), the key to the future and prosperity of humankind lies in the promotion of good health practices. This entails a holistic approach to health, involving science, health awareness, community initiatives, social determinants, behavioural aspects, and most importantly individual action and personal responsibility for one’s own physical and mental wellbeing.
Our healthcare systems are mainly reactive: they are designed to respond to illness, rather than systematically addressing its underlying causes and investing in the conditions that can sustain health, resilience and wellbeing on the long term.
by Edoardo Montin, EHFF Communication Lead
This month’s newsletter was co-edited and compiled by Lars Münter, Network Director of the EHFF, and Karl Baumann, Head of the Institute for the Development of a Global Democratic Republic.
Lars Münter, EHFF Network Director
Karl Baumann, Head of the Institute for the Development of a Global Democratic Republic
Health begins with human connection
Picture ‘Man and Woman’ by Tamara Kvesitadze
Health promotion begins with the quality of our relationships. The Harvard Study of Adult Development highlights the importance of close social connections for long-term health and happiness. Building meaningful relationships also requires vulnerability: the courage to be open, express our needs and allow others to support us.
As Brené Brown’s research highlights, vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but an expression of courage and an essential foundation for meaningful human connection, trust and belonging.
Read more about Brené Brown here
The strength of vulnerability
Picture of Alex Honnold al Kalymnos, Greece by photographer Keith Ladzinski
The philosopher Alain de Botton explores how genuine strength can emerge from acknowledging our vulnerability. Rather than concealing our fears, limitations and emotional needs, we can learn to embrace them. This capacity to be vulnerable allows us to develop deeper relationships, strengthen mutual trust and contribute to healthier communities.
Read more about Alain de Botton here
Upcoming events
Webinar AI, Society and System at the Edge of Change
8 October 2026, online
Adam Skali will have the pleasure of moderating a conversation with Dr Gabriella Spinelli, Director of RADIANT-CERSI and Head of Brunel Design School at Brunel University London, on how AI health innovators can move from regulatory compliance towards successful implementation in real-world healthcare.
Irish EU Presidency – Health Priorities and Beyond
14 October 2026, Dublin (Ireland)
Putting a punch in policy to practice. The EHFF is excited to work together with Trinity College Dublin and the All-Island PPI Ignite Network to bring together policy makers, researchers, patients, and health professionals to co-create as part of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026. We’ll be diving into 8 key themes at the center of current EU policy evolution
- Women’s Health
- Eligibility & Equity
- Digital health, innovation and data sharing
- European Health Data Space
- Patient-centred care / patient partnership
- Ageing
- Public health, prevention and food environment
- Sustainability and security
Webinar Health Foresight – session 2
November 2026 – online (date to be confirmed)
After the success of the first session in June 2026, the EHFF will host a second practical session on health foresight, turning long-horizon thinking into something health organisations can actually use. Further experts will join the panel and will be confirmed shortly. Stay connected for more details.
14th International Multithematic Bio-Medical Congress (IMBMC) Scientific Cyprus
19-21 November 2026 – Nicosia (Cyprus)
The Congress will offer comprehensive and exciting scientific program. There will be plenary and poster sessions. Themes will include new research and clinical trial findings, for diagnosis, therapies and prevention; real case analyses and round table open discussions in Cardiology/Cardiovascular diseases, Chronic disease, Cancer, Diabetes and Stress, Surgery/Robotic Surgery, and Medical Genetics. The meeting is also partnered with the Cyprus Medical Association (CYMA).
Additional Stories
Planning for 2036 while budgeting for 2027
In a new article for EHFF, Kateryna Ostrovska, with Anna Gallinat, looks at what Ukraine’s pharmaceutical sector can teach European health systems about operating under extreme uncertainty. Her argument is that long-horizon scenario planning has to run alongside short-term budgeting rather than instead of it. Workforce shortages, she writes, are a structural challenge, not a recruitment problem: the question is not “where do we find people?” but “what should we become if staffing is permanently constrained?” The piece closes on a warning that tools and frameworks change nothing on their own — institutions also need the absorptive capacity to act on what foresight tells them.
Completion of the ERASMUS+ project BEHEALTH
Two EHFF members, Ales Bourek of Brno University and David Somekh, former EHFF Network Director, have recently reprised their roles as experts in health quality improvement, which they fulfilled more than ten years ago as Board members of the now deceased NGO, ESQH, the European Society for Quality in Healthcare.
They represented EHFF as a partner in an international project on improving the quality of nurse education BEHEALTH (www.behealthproject.eu ) which has just completed after two years. The essence of the project was to develop a self-audit tool for testing the quality of nurse education in quality assurance which would be transferable within Europe but would also include components which rarely if ever appear in current models used across the field, namely, a 360 degree aspect (incorporating feedback from all of the stakeholders involved), elements which assess stress and other factors affecting students’ mental health, environmental considerations and finally , which incorporate digital tools to enhance the effectiveness of evaluations.
What emerged was the development and beta-testing of an assessment tool, the IMT (intelligent mentoring tool) which was the most significant output for the project. This has been written up in a recent journal paper, see: Quality Innovation Prosperity (QIP) 30 pp.1-21(2026) ‘The BEHEALTH Intelligent Mentoring Tool for Quality Improvement in Nursing Education: A Pilot Demonstration ’: Zgodavová. K, Bober. P, Bourek. A, Gabzdilová. J, and Babečka J.
EHFF’s main role was to lead the work package on dissemination, including newsletters, webinars, use of social media, publications etc. also tailored to the language and local settings for the six countries involved: Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Ireland and Hungary. More details of dissemination plans may be obtained via personal application to the EHFF participants named above.
From Principles to Practice: Governing AI in Healthcare
Learn more about the last webinar hosted by Adam Skali with Nicoleta J. Economou-Zavlanos on AI governance in healthcare, exploring how regulation can enable innovation, protect patients, and adapt to increasingly dynamic AI systems and applications.
Stay Tuned and Take Action
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Warm regards,
EHFF