The 14th World Congress on Public Health (WCPH) will be held in Kolkatta from 11-15 February 2015, which will contribute towards protecting and promoting public health at global, continental, and national levels and to create a better understanding of India’s public health challenges within global public health. This edition will focus on ‘Healthy People – Healthy Environment’ and is likely to bring together 2,000 participants.

The 14th WCPH is being jointly hosted by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) and the Indian Public Health Association. Every three years, the WCPH brings together participants from a wide range of public health disciplines from many countries around the world.  

The last Congress was held in 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Kolkata will be hosting the World Congress on Public Health for the second time in 2015, after the one hosted in 1981.

The key themes of the plenary sessions will be in the areas of Defining the Role of Public Health in Today’s Global Setting; Public Health in the Sustainable Development Agenda; Public Health Approaches to Address New Challenges of Sustainable Development and Healthy Environment; Global Public Health Challenges; and Human Rights and Law as Tools for Sustainable Development.

The Congress will serve as a platform to showcase India’s efforts and to share knowledge and experiences of public health professionals from all over the world towards making the Government of India’s ‘Clean India Mission’ a grand success.

The Congress will have plenaries, workshops, concurrent sessions, oral and poster presentations, and different exhibitions on public health. It will also host the International Student Meet on Public Health.

Brazil has confirmed its participation as the partner country. Organizations that have confirmed their support and participation include WHO-SEARO and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

J Chauvin, WFPHA immediate past-president and co-chair of the 14th WCPH International Organising Committee (IOC) stressed the urgent need for change both in policy and public health responses and services for people around the world. ‘‘The meeting will bring together and bridge perspectives from various disciplines of public health to in?uence governments, organizations, agencies and institutions around the world to meet the challenge of improving people’s health in countries like India,” he explained.

Dr Madhumita Dobe, Organising Secretary, 14th WPCH 2015, said: “Twelve congresses later, after a long hiatus of more than 30 years, India is hosting this global event. The global public health scenario has changed with a lot of exciting initiatives. For India, ‘Healthy People – Healthy Environment’ has already been given the highest possible visibility vis-a-vis the efforts to keep India clean and the momentum around making India free from open defecation.”