European Public Health News * President's column * EUPHA office column * Message from the WHO Regional Director for Europe: Better health for Europe * Message from the EU Commissioner: 'What is new in our fight against cancer?' * Seventh European Public Health Conference--'Mind the gap: reducing inequalities in health and health care'

Abstract

This European Public Health News is focusing on international collaboration. Ricciardi summarizes the outcome of an international meeting where the impact of genomic technologies on public health practice was discussed. The conclusion is that further action is needed and this action should be coordinated at international level. Zeegers focuses on the need for a strong European public health voice and how this could and should be achieved. Jakab presents several key priorities in public health, where international collaboration and commitment is necessary. Borg refreshes our memory with regard to cancer, where not only European and national actions are necessary, but where the citizens in Europe should be included as well. Barnhoorn presents the best example of commitment, collaboration and action: the upcoming European Public Health Conference in Glasgow this year. # President’s column {#article-title-2} A few months ago, during a pleasant dinner with my friend and colleague, the forthcoming European Public Health Association (EUPHA) President Martin McKee, we discussed on the impact of genomic technologies on public health practice. We agreed that, with the exception of pharmacogenomics, the limited impact of these discoveries on health improvement programs had been surprisingly disappointing. We recognized the complex issues that arose from the potential to have greater knowledge of one’s genome. Would it encourage people to change their lifestyles if they knew they were at increased risk or would it give rise to fatalism? But there are areas where genomics may potentially aid prevention, for example, by enabling stratified screening. Yet, in these areas, progress seemed very slow. Seven years after the publication of a Bellagio Statement on Public Health Genomics, defined as the ‘… responsible and effective translation of genome-based discovery into population health’, we are still facing intense debate about implementing genomics medicine into health improvement programs. How can these uncertainties be addressed and evidence-based …