It’s that time of year again – while many people are jetting off on their summer holidays or enjoying a quieter time in the office, PHE is busy gearing up for our annual conference.
If you're joining us this year you will be one of 1,400 professionals coming together to network, socialise and hear sessions spanning the vast landscape of public health.
The conference is open to the entire public health family and I'm delighted that we have so many professional, academic and policy colleagues attending, alongside representatives from local communities and national and local government.
We're pleased to welcome Nicola Blackwood, the new Minister for Public Health and Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, as this year’s keynote speakers.
The range of presentations will, as ever, spark lively and thought-provoking debate, on topics from obesity and antimicrobial resistance to air pollution and e-cigarettes.
Sessions will also touch on cross cutting themes including health inequalities, translation of evidence into action, community engagement and innovation, ensuring that every session is informative and challenging.
We have a number of new features this year. Those arriving on the Monday evening are invited to attend The Big Debate, organised by the Faculty of Public Health, where we will ask our panel ‘Where next for public health in Europe?’
And on Tuesday, the inaugural PHE Distinguished Lecture will be given by Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Advisor and now Special Representative for Climate Change at the Foreign Office.
The conference exhibition will offer the chance to find out the latest news on the development of our world-leading science hub for public health in Harlow, and alongside the exhibition stands delegates can use our new interactive touch-screens to access over 270 e-Posters.
On both days scientific sessions will run across six parallel conference tracks:
- Improving lives
- Protecting lives
- Healthy places and communities
- Improving quality of lives
- Horizon 2030
- Systems, politics and leadership
We'll be exploring all the big issues, including tobacco control, work and health, sexual health and innovation, health economics, data and surveillance and how we are helping to take forward the NHS Five Year Forward View.
we'll be providing lots of opportunities for delegates to stay active, with lunchtime walks, 4k runs and free use of the University’s sports facilities all available.
As well as PHE experts, we will hear from people working within the NHS and local authorities, as well as colleagues from academic centres and Government departments.
And of course, we'll be providing lots of opportunities for delegates to stay active, with lunchtime walks, 4k runs and free use of the University’s sports facilities all available.
For anyone who is unable to attend in person, you can keep up with all the news and online discussions via Twitter, by following @phe_uk. To join in, use #PHEconf16 or let me know your views via @ProfKevinFenton.
Conference places: There are still a few places available for PHE’s Annual Conference, taking place on 13-14 September at Warwick University. More information is available at: http://www.phe-conference.org.uk/