The Development of European Lists of Core Competences in Public Health

The European programme was initiated in 2006 by ASPHER. Members schools were asked to contribute with intellectual (knowledge) and practical (skills) competences within 6 themes, which were finally phrased this way: (1) methods in public health; (2) population health and its social and economic determinants; (3) population health and its material - physical, radiological, chemical and biological - determinants; (4) health policy; economics; health policy and management; (5) health promotion, health education and disease prevention; (6) cross-cutting themes – in the last edition of the lists reduced to ethics in public health.  More than 100 European teachers and scientists in public health contributed, and the process has included international conferences as well as local workshops for schools of public health and public health decision makers. Europe has been divided in four zones with each their zonal leader. ‘Master classes’ have been arranged with high-level government officials. Based on these activities, supported by WHO and EU and in collaboration with public health movements - European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), EuroHealthNet and European Health Management Association (EHMA) - two lists have been developed (2011), one for public health practitioners and one for MPH education. The main challenges at present are to disseminate the lists and to have them discussed and implemented in the development and management of educational programmes and in the developmet of public health systems. On his background, Chris Birt will deal with visions for the future.