6TH V4 PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE AND 7TH SAVEZ CONFERENCE

Healthy Horizons: Exploring Innovations in Public Health

From September 9–11, 2026, an international conference titled “Healthy Horizons: Discovering Innovations in Public Health” was held in Tatranská Lomnica, Slovakia, under the auspices of the V4 countries and the Slovak Public Health Association.

The conference, which drew a large number of experts from many countries both within and outside Europe, was a great example of the importance of networking, collaboration, and joint discussion, as well as a demonstration that education does not always have to take the form of seminars, and that new ideas are born primarily through the exchange of experiences. During the conference, all participants gained insights and were able to familiarize themselves with a wealth of innovative ideas and scientific findings—including best practices from the V4 countries—from experts within the EuroHealthNet network as well as from WHO experts. Speakers at the conference included, for example, Caroline Costongs, Director of the EuroHealthNet; Charlotte Marchandise, Director of the European Public Health Association; Moredreck Chibi, Head of Innovation for the WHO European Region; and many other experts from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Portugal, France, and Canada. Since the presentation and discussion of the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme and Programme Health were among the key topics that resonated throughout the conference, Matthias Bachmann—Head of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Slovakia—also addressed the audience.

The Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, in cooperation with the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development, and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, organized a pre-conference workshop on September 9 as part of the conference on the topic of “Strengthening Governance in the Field of Noncommunicable Disease Prevention”: Integrating Findings from the Joint Action “PreventNCD” and Invest4Health Initiatives into the Swiss-Slovak Health Framework.

The joint pre-conference workshop provided a platform for exchanging international evidence, experiences, and practical tools to support interdisciplinary collaboration. The seminar focused on exploring innovative approaches to financing to support the long-term sustainability of prevention efforts. The workshop combined presentations, dialogue, and group discussions to explore how evidence and best practices can be translated into a feasible framework for Slovakia. Attention was given to strengthening cross-sectoral and regional cooperation and creating an enabling environment that facilitates healthier decisions for citizens. Participants were invited to identify specific measures and co-create solutions to shape the future of prevention in Slovakia at the national, regional, and local levels.

At the pre-conference workshop, as part of the opening session titled “Overview of the Situation in the Field of Noncommunicable Diseases,” Caroline Costongs, Director of EuroHealthNet, delivered the opening remarks. In her presentation, she put forward several compelling arguments as to why prevention should be given greater prominence in public discourse and in the formulation of national and international policies. This was followed by a presentation by Daniela Kállayová, a public health expert from the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, and Mária Hlásna, programme manager of the Swiss-Slovak Health Programme at the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development, and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, on how to address the challenges related to noncommunicable diseases in Slovakia, as well as an introduction to the “Health” program and its potential for change in the field of health promotion. Lina Papartyte (EuroHealthNet), Balázs Babarczy (Syreon Research Institute), and Ján Králik, an expert from the Slovak Ministry of Health, presented their contributions, which included examples of best practices. Swiss-Slovak cooperation provides an opportunity to put this international knowledge into practice and test its applicability within the Slovak system.

The goal was to move beyond simply sharing information toward actively involving stakeholders in the joint development of a new model for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases in Slovakia.

The afternoon session of the workshop focused on practical solutions and group work and included working with the current draft of the governance model being developed as part of the Health Programme, reflections from conference participants, and a moderated discussion. The discussion focused on three key areas:

• Governance and collaboration: a shift from fragmented efforts to a coordinated, cross-sectoral, and interprofessional approach with a stronger commitment to translating knowledge and evidence into action;
• Sustainable investment: moving beyond traditional budgetary approaches and exploring strategic, sustainable, and inclusive financing models to support long-term investments in health promotion and disease prevention;
• Capacity and Equity: Strengthening professional competencies across sectors and ensuring that preventive activities effectively reach and respond to the needs of high-risk and underserved population groups.

During the conference on September 10, a panel discussion was also held on the Swiss-Slovak Health Programme, followed by a closed-door meeting of prevention coordinators on the topic of how political dialogue can help advocate for the principles of “Health in All Policies.” During the panel, four projects under the Health Programme were presented in more detail: a project by the Bratislava Self-Governing Region, a project by the city of Pezinok, a project by the Košice Self-Governing Region, and a project by the city of Košice.

The challenge in the field of health promotion may not lie solely in a lack of resources, but also in how effectively existing resources are allocated and utilized to improve health indicators and quality of life.