Euroscience Open Forum 2012

Health and welfare varies enormously between European nations and nations globally. Simultaneously, common challenges are easily identified. From a public health perspective, aging is an overarching phenomenon in many countries. Welfare systems, to the extent they at all exist, should be robust enough to provide sustainable solutions to create a balance between generations. A healthier population seems imperative if a postponed retirement age is required.
In this panel discussion, research in demography, public health, prevention, harm reduction, harm assessment, and policy will be discussed. A pressing general societal issue is the distribution of health and welfare, which tend to exhibit a social gradient. Health and welfare as critical features of societal cohesion and as potential sources of severe threats to cohesion are evident in the perspective of their distribution in populations. The discussion will be focused on questions such as ‘How can basic research in different fields serve as a basis for policy and politics?’ and ‘How can advances in research contribute to individual and societal benefits?’.