Global health expert Ilona Kickbusch, leading initiator of the 1986 Ottawa Charter, talks to Healthy Europe about the 40th anniversary of this fundamental document and future topics in the field of comprehensive health promotion.
Healthy Europe October 2026 EHFG
Healthy Europe asked four decision-makers about the current and future relevance of the WHO Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion for their work. Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director of Health Systems at WHO/Europe; Korinna Schumann, Austrian Minister of Health; Clemens Martin Auer, President of the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG); and Klaus Ropin, Head of Fonds Gesundes Österreich (Austrian Health Fund), responded as follows.
An increasing number of children and adults worldwide are overweight or obese. This concerning situation has prompted Norway to respond with an important countermeasure. Advertising and marketing of unhealthy foods targeted at children under 18 years of age are now prohibited.
“Healthy Streets” is a framework that is designed to turn roads into more liveable areas for people, rather than just transport routes for cars and lorries. In Austria, the concept is being applied in places such as Gleinstätten in the province of Styria.
Data and facts on spending for prevention and health promotion, Norway’s ban on marketing unhealthy foods to children, the WHO Healthy Cities Network and the economic benefits of workplace health promotion.
EuroHealthNet Director Caroline Costongs talks to Healthy Europe about the 40th anniversary of the Ottawa Charter and why laws and strategies for accountability are urgently necessary to counter the health risks of the digital age.
Healthy Europe asked two young public health professionals and members of the Young Forum Gastein, Olha-Mariia Alimenko from Ukraine and Jack Haywood from the United Kingdom, about the relevance of the Ottawa Charter for their work and for the future of health promotion.
The Portuguese National School Health Programme was set up to turn schools into nationwide settings that benefit health. Its measures systematically integrate the principles of the Ottawa Charter.
A project at the University of Vienna is creating an environment that benefits the health of its students, allowing them to choose a healthier lifestyle in a setting that is steeped in tradition.