The 22nd International Union for Health Promotion and Education World Conference on Health Promotion took place this past month in Curitiba, Brazil. The aim of the conference was to create a global forum where researchers, practitioners and policy makers involved in and concerned about the promotion of health and equity would share and discuss new knowledge, innovations in practice and policy and cutting edge experience.

Our very own Associate Professor Dr. Rie Suzuki was able to attend the conference and share her thoughts!

Health inequities are still growing, both in Flint and globally. The aim of The 22nd IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion was to prevent these inequities by promoting health and equity, while also discussing new knowledge, policy, innovations in practice, and cutting edge experience; for these reasons, the greatest benefits of attending this conference were the opportunities to build a professional network and increase awareness of international trends happening in Health Education and Promotion.

I met with Japanese physicians and public health professionals who work in occupational health fields and are members of the Japanese Health Education Association. Additionally, attending this conference reinforced the importance of social determinants of health, especially regarding health policy. For example, democratic movements have been associated with health equities in underdeveloped nations. This knowledge can be used in both HCR 368 Sociology of Health and Illness and Health Education courses to teach a concept of the socio-ecological model. Hence, conference participation has been and will continue to be supportive of more opportunities for global relevance.

For more information on the International Union for Health Promotion and Education click here!