15 May 2017, Bad Hofgastein, Austria – The 20^th European Health Forum Gastein “Health in All Politics – a better future for Europe” will take place 4-6 October 2017, in Bad Hofgastein, Austria.

The future of Europe is facing seismic challenges on all fronts. Populism and “post-truth” politics have captured the debate, and governments grapple to meet the social and welfare expectations of their voters as Europe’s economic recovery remains slow. Now, more than ever, is a time to build bridges between the different policy areas affecting European health, and to see how far it is possible to embrace the values of universality and access to good quality care for all. The annual European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) is a platform to shape the future of Europe’s health policies.

Each year, the European Commission, national Ministries of Health, the World Health Organization and an array of over 500 experts from science, civil society and the private sector come together to test new ideas and identify new trends. This year, EHFG will aim higher, taking the technocratic concept of ‘health in all policies’ to the political level.

High-level speakers at EHFG 2017 include European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, Austrian Minister of Health and Women’s Affairs, Pamela Rendi-Wagner; Zsuzsanna Jakab, Regional Director for Europe of the World Health Organization, as well as leading officials such as Xavier Prats Monné, Director General of DG SANTE at the European Commission. More information about this year’s EHFG sessions is available in the newly released programme.

The 20^th anniversary edition of the EHFG conference takes place under the patronage of Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria.

Members of the media are invited to register for accreditation via the online form. If you are interested in finding out more or featuring the EHFG in your editorial calendar, please contact the press office at press@ehfg.org or +32 2 321 90 16.

About European Health Forum Gastein

The European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) was founded in 1998 as a European health policy conference. It aims to provide a platform for all stakeholders from the fields of public health and healthcare, and beyond. Over the past decade, the EHFG has established itself as an indispensable institution in the scope of European health policy. It has made a decisive contribution to the development of guidelines and above all the cross-border exchange of experience, information and cooperation. Leading experts participate in the annual conference held in the Gastein Valley in the Austrian Alps for three days in October.