{"id":11700,"date":"2011-10-12T16:11:18","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T15:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?p=11700"},"modified":"2011-10-12T16:11:18","modified_gmt":"2011-10-12T15:11:18","slug":"michael-west-health-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2011\/10\/12\/michael-west-health-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael West: Health 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the 14th European Health Forum Gastein (5-8 October 2011), a group of “Young Gasteiners” blogged live from the talks. A selection of their blogs are on the BMJ blogsite.
\n<\/em>
\n\"MichaelThe Health 2020 session at the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG), sponsored by WHO Europe, provided a chance to discuss and contribute towards WHO\u2019s developing regional health policy \u2013 Health 2020. The session discussed both the aims of the policy, and what capabilities will be needed to implement it.<\/p>\n

This exposes an issue which goes to the heart of EHFG and the Young Gastein initiative in particular \u2013 the relationship between research and policy. There was an overall sense of frustration that the ever growing mountain of scientific research has not been taken up by policymakers. If the facts are clear \u2013 why has action not followed?<\/p>\n

And yet, on this, the speakers were also optimistic. WHO is developing tools to bridge the gap, and there was also\u00a0a lot of\u00a0discussion\u00a0about presenting the evidence in ways more relevant to policymakers \u2013 for example showing the short term benefits of public health interventions. Crucially there was also a discussion\u00a0about projects which do not have significant up front costs. Such arguments are essential. Irrespective of the rhetoric, in these straightened economic times, ministers are unlikely to spend big now for benefits which will only arrive many years in the future. An ever growing pile of research papers is not enough \u2013 campaigners and researchers need to use language which is relevant to politicians.<\/p>\n

Further questions for debate might include:<\/p>\n