2. Table of Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
List of acronyms .................................................................................................................... ii
Strategy overview ................................................................................................................. 1
Vision ............................................................................................................................................1
Goals .............................................................................................................................................1
Pillar Schedule....................................................................................................................... 3
Project types ......................................................................................................................... 5
“Day” Projects................................................................................................................................5
Continuous projects .......................................................................................................................5
Publications ...................................................................................................................................5
External partners................................................................................................................... 6
Student organizations ....................................................................................................................6
European public health institutions ................................................................................................6
Academic institutions and congresses.............................................................................................6
Human resources .................................................................................................................. 8
Social media and PH assistant.........................................................................................................8
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3. List of acronyms
AISEC - Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales
AMEE- The Association for Medical Education in Europe
AYPN - Alcohol Youth Policy Network
BEST - Board of European Students of Technology
BVMD - Bundesvertretung der Medizinstudierenden in Deutschland
CPME - Standing Committee of European Doctors
CSGH - Copenhagen School of Global Health
EAHF - European Alcohol and Health Forum
ECDC - European Center for Disease Control
ECL - European Cancer League
EEB - European Executive Board
EJD - European Junior Doctors
ELSA - European Legal Students’ Association
EPSA - European Pharmacy Students’ Association
ESD - European Support Division
ESTIEM- European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management
EUPHA - European Public Health Association
FMO - Faculty member organization
LC - Local coordinator
LSHTM - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
PH- Public Health
PHP - Public Health Publication/Portal
PMO - Policy Making Officer
UAEM- Universities Allied for Essential Medicines
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4. WHS - World Health Summit
YLP - Year long proje
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5. Strategy overview
Vision
Position EMSA to be the strongest and most recognizable medical students’ representative
organization and equal partner in the field of Public Health in the European region and toward
the institutions of the European Union and the Council of Europe by 2015.
From the period of 2012 till date the pillar has achieved its first manpower, project handbooks
and communication platforms (facebook and twitter). Since I never envision the PH pillar as
being mostly project driven, but instead focused on policy issues, the structural building tasks
are more or less complete. PH has also been positioned well within EMSA and introduced to its
members during the Spring and Autumn GAs with substantial interest generated in the areas of
global health, access to medicines and topics of social justice.
Goals
This year’s focus will be on:
I. Content dissemination- Various materials have been created within the PH Pillar, the
continuous referral and redistribution of these materials so they do not go to waste is of
utmost importance. Notwithstanding there will still be a continuous outpour of blog
posts, articles, issue briefs, white papers, infographics, presentations, videos, podcasts
etc on our various social media outlets.
II. Policy making- A necessary next step to fulfilling the vision outlined above is equipping
the organization with the knowledge, skills and manpower necessary for constructive
cooperation with other INGOs and supragovernmental structures. The existing
platforms need to be able to pivot into the role of a vibrant place for discussion, which
will help us determine which issues our members are most passionate about and help
us create great policy.
III. Working Groups- A selection of the best and brightest minds EMSA has to offer
brainstorming and working in collaboration with as many external partners as feasible
to promote the EMSA name but most importantly to encourage individual participation.
One of this years focuses will be on the WG on Lifestyle and medicine in collaboration
with the European Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
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6. IV. Interactive workshops- Public health is such a broad and interesting field that regular
statistic filled workshops just won’t do! Serious, yet fun workshops will encourage a
deeper understanding of how serious PH is and how we can be of change globally.
V. FMO integration-
In order to improve the PHD capacity building strategies of EMSA, the integration of
the PH activities on the FMO level into a more synchronized one is of prime
importance. During the year the pillar intends to coordinate and integrate these events.
So as to encourage adoption and replication by other FMOs and also for the purposes of
monitoring and improving these FMO organized events.
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7. Pillar Schedule
November ’14 • World Diabetes Day (November 14th) • European Antibiotic Awareness Day
(November 18th) • International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
(November 25th)
December ’14 • World AIDS Day (December 1st) • International Day of Persons with
Disabilities (December 3rd) • Human Rights Day (December 10th) • International Migrants Day
(December 18th)
January ’15 •
February ’15 World Cancer Day (February 4th) • International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female
Genital Mutilation (February 6th) Rare diseases day (February 27th
)
March ’15 • International Women’s Day (March 8th) • International Day of Happiness (March
20th) • World Water Day (March 22nd) • World Tuberculosis Day (March 24th)
April ’15 • World Health Day (April 7th) • World Malaria Day (April 25th)
May ’15 • International No Diet Day (May 6th
) Day for Biological Diversity (May 22nd) • World
No Tobacco Day (May 31st)
June ’15 • World Environment Day (June 5th) • World Blood Donor Day (June 14th) • World
Refugee Day (June 20th) • International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (June
26th)
July ’15 • World Population Day (July 11th) • World Hepatitis Day (July 28th)
August ’15 September ’15 • World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th) • International
Day of Peace (September 21st)
October ’15 • International Day of Older Persons (October 1st) • World Mental Health Day
(October 10th) • European Day for Organ Donation (October 12th) • World Food Day (October
16th) • International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17th)
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8. Please note that this is a general list of Awareness days that will be mostly commemorated via
our social media sites. A specific emphasis however will be on the Awareness days in BOLD
which will be promoted not only via social media but along with various FMOs across Europe.
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9. Project types
“Day” Projects
Public health is renowned for its many ‘’Days’’, e.g. European Antibiotic Awareness Day on
November 18th. These projects are mainly focused on activities that raise awareness and
spread information about a specific topic. On the European level we will run on-line awareness
advocacy campaigns and FMO organized events for all of the more visible issues (see the
calendar above), The main purpose of these types of projects definitely lies in the ability to raise
the EMSA profile along with the issue being campaigned for. To increase the impact of our
activities, a policy paper draft, petition, walk etc can be worked on in parallel with the activities
of the day.
Continuous projects
There are certainly many issues in the Public health field that need to be translated into
continuous activities, e.g. donation drives, CPR classes, community health outreach programs,
advocacy campaigns (SDHs, post-2015 SDGs). On the European level we can work on using
previously created handbooks and materials for these projects, based on best practices of the
FMOs and ensuring a common level of quality and content throughout our network. The FMOs
should be able then to very easily use the handbooks to implement and adapt the projects
locally. The main opportunity of these types of projects lies in the momentum they create
locally, helping FMOs recruit new members and drive the entire team forward in terms of
experience.
Publications
One of the main issues in student involvement in Public health is the lack of accessible, well
packaged and up to date information -it may be on the issues themselves or on how to get
involved with the issues. Therefore we plan to work on the promotion of the created handbooks
online. The EMSA PH Pillar is a fluid concept that will likely develop into a central student-
centered on-line portal with associated sites on specific topics. Information is power!
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10. External partners
Student organizations
Student organizations form natural partners in the interdisciplinary fight for and/or against
Public health issues and are more or less involved partners of ours in our projects. This year, we
will focus on continued relations with EPSA, UAEM and ESTIEM as a new addition. These
organizations give us an opportunity to network with students outside the medical sphere and
give a chance for our members, FMOs and EMSA in general to gather more perspectives on
these issues. Working with them ranges from joint workshops to common policy advocacy and
awareness campaigns.
European public health institutions
ECDC, EAHF, CPME, EJD, EUPHA, AYPN and ECL are the focal points of institutional
cooperation of EMSA on Public health issues. These European level institutions are a source of
research, expertise and materials and provide a better platform for our institution from which
to run advocacy campaigns, as well as support YLP0s. Here as well the level of cooperation will
vary, from signed and formalized cooperation to informal support. The norm is that EMSA is
bound to create peer education activities and as support policy advocacy, which are all well
within the scope of existing strategy as well and thus form a natural alignment with these
institutions.
Academic institutions and congresses
The main Eurocentric event is the WHS, so far always based in Berlin, Germany. It gives a good
overview of the year’s upcoming Public, International and Global health topics, so it is an
incredible opportunity to learn as well as network and look for further institutional or other
partnerships for EMSA in the PH field. EMSA has and will be involved with the pre-WHS
workshop, a collaboration with the BVMD, which brings together interested students before the
actual summit and gives them the necessary competencies to attend and explore the summit
and its topic fully. AMEE is a worldwide organization which promotes international excellence
in education in the healthcare professions across the continuum of undergraduate,
postgraduate and continuing education. Being a part of the student task force is a one in a
lifetime opportunity that EMSA members can be a part of. The establishment of contact with
higher education institutions that specialize in public health (LSHTM, CSGH, etc.) is a welcome
initiative for the future of the pillar.
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12. Human resources
The outlined strategies require sound inter-pillary co-operation and individual expertise for
their effective implementation, monitoring and success. I count on the co-operation and selfless
support of all our members in this direction as well as a select few that will be on the PH team
Social media and PH assistant
Work to promote a good online presence, primarily through social networks based on an
excellent knowledge of social media platforms and good social marketing skills.
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