What is ASPHER

The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region - ASPHER - is the key independent organisation in Europe dedicated to strengthening the role of public health by improving the training of public health professionals for both practice and research within the European Region, as defined by WHO.

Founded in 1966, ASPHER has over 60 institutional members. These are located in most Member States of the European Union (EU), the Council of Europe (CE) and the European Region of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Our members are:

• University Departments,
• National Schools and Regional Schools in Europe.

They are the primary training Institutions for public health professionals in their countries. As such, they provide the critical link between the science and practice of public health in Europe. Members are closely linked to national health administrations, academia, professional organisations and public health programmes and services.

ASPHER’s General Assembly elects the Association’s President for 2 years and the Executive Board.

The Executive Board appoints the Executive Director and the Secretariat Staff.

Together they develop the Association’s projects, member services and standing committees.

Mission statement

Our goal is to

• Champion the interdisciplinary nature of public health, for the field draws on various academic disciplines, theories and research methods related to the behavioural, cultural, social and economic influences affecting health and health care systems.

• Promote the European dimension in public health training programmes.

• Develop and strengthen a unique network of training institutions to advocate their views for a new public health strategy in Europe.

What we do

• A formalised system of Peer Review designed to improve the quality of training programmes for public health professionals (Public Health Education European Review - PEER).

• A Journal: the Internet - Journal of Public Health Education - I-JPHE - with a global perspective and open to contributors from all over the world. The I-JPHE is an exclusively internet based publication and serves the rapid exchange of information essential in modern public health work. The I-JPHE covers the whole spectrum of public health disciplines but concentrates on education for public health practice, research and management of training programmes and training institutions.

• An Annual Conference. Each year there is an ASPHER Annual Conference which takes place in a different ASPHER Member School. The theme of the conference changes every year.

• A Monthly Newsletter

• A Website which gives information about ASPHER projects, services, and members.

www.aspher.org