Conference venue:
"Andrija Stampar" School of Public Health
Zagreb, Croatia

Address by Professor Andrija Stampar delivered at the First World Health Assembly in Geneva on June 25th, 1948, when elected as its President
Medical science must adopt a positive rather than a defensive attitude. Great tasks await the World Health Organization in this field and its future success will largely depend on its ability to put ideas into practice. It is evident that the World Health Organization cannot be just a health administration placed above the national health administrations, but by an exchange of ideas, a correct attitude and by propagation of experience it can do very much in this respect...

Since their beginning, the European schools of public health have been closely engaged in solving the problems of the communities. During the early decades of the 20th century, the problems they were facing were mostly the issues of physical environment, and poor knowledge of citizens in preserving health. Today, the problems are not less frequent nor difficult but are of different type and quality.
Today, public health takes place within a context of international population migration that has direct impact on health and health care services. The issue of citizens rights and the overall NGO sector becomes a great part of everyday health care delivery and, therefore, is a topic of high importance for public health in the 21st century.
The 24th ASPHER Conference will try to address several questions. What mechanisms do exist to monitor and respond to global world changes? What impact will the European open borders have on health care services and citizens expectations? How should health professionals and policy makers respond? Responses to these issues take place at the global and regional level, and challenge citizens, academics and policy makers. This is a call for action and for changes.
How can SPHs contribute and get involved into the dynamics of postmodern real world?
What is the new role of schools of public health in today’s real world environment?

History and settings of the “A. Stampar” School of Public Health

The “A. Stampar” School of Public Health is a part of the Medical School, University of Zagreb. In 2002, this unique institution both in the past and the present of Croatia will celebrate 75 years of continuous efforts in the field of public health, oriented towards research, education and implementation of developed strategies in hygienic and public health policies. In the changing and sometimes extremely turbulent times of the Croatian history, the “A. Stampar” School of Public Health managed to remain the most important actor in public health issues.

The School was founded in 1926 by a group of outstanding public health workers led by Dr A. Stampar (1888-1958), a physician, a social and hygiene medicine expert, and a public health organizer. The School’s main efforts during the first period were concentrated on the extensive field work on the investigation of the environmental health condition and on organization of health campaigns, such as health education, endemic disease control (malaria), rural sanitation. Later, the School became actively involved in many international projects, such as education for management, consultancy, cooperation with the WHO, Rockefeller Foundation and others, and became actively engaged in the formation of postgraduate education for all profiles of professionals in primary health care (one of the first vocational training courses in the world for GPs and school medicine specialists). It started slowly to transform from a popular public health institution into more scientifically oriented public health teaching facility.

Now, at the beginning of the new millennium, the “A. Stampar” School of Public Health is taking on new challenges. The School has also become a leading partner in national and international projects. These projects will enable the “A. Stampar” School of Public Health to become the leader in public health education for the region of Southeastern Europe.

The 20th century was the century of public health issues. Today, when we are looking back to the past and embrace the new challenges in public health, the “A. Stampar” School of Public Health stands out as a memento of that period, the century that brought back great achievements in vaccination efforts and control of infectious diseases, food and water supply safety, improvements in workplace conditions, family planning and brought to our attention the issues related to heart disease, stroke and tobacco use.

Organizing Committee:
Luka Kovacic, chairman
Ognjen Brborovic, vice chairman
Rosa Adany
Thierry Louvet
Marko Mesaric
Marija Dominis
Marija Strnad
Zvonimir Sostar
Natasa Janev-Holcer
Jasmina Vranes
Sanja Kusec
Alma Simunec-Jovic
Visnja Kudera

Address:
e-mail: aspher2002@snz.hr