NDPHS Newsletter, May–August 2026 Edition – NDPHS

NDPHS Newsletter, May–August 2026 Edition

24 August, 2026

In this edition:

  • Stronger regional cooperation: Norway becomes a full member of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
  • Supporting those who care for us: Highlights from the EUSBSR Annual Forum on resilience in the health and social care workforce.
  • Arts and mental health: Insights from the Arts on Prescription webinar in Estonia and discussions at the Opinion Festival in Paide.
  • Alcohol and substance use policy: Updates from the 30th ASA Expert Group meeting and our new ASA Expert Insights series.
  • Age-friendly workplaces: Progress from the SAFE project towards practical solutions for employers and employees.
  • New ways to stay connected: Discover BSR Mental Health on Instagram and watch Arts on Prescription expert presentations on YouTube.

Read the newsletter for the full stories and a look at upcoming events across the region.

Click here to read

Other News
Mental health is made in every ministry
In her World Mental Health Day statement, Ülla-Karin Nurm, Director of the NDPHS Secretariat, calls for mental health to be considered in every ministry and town hall, with people with lived experience involved from the start. She explores how cooperation across the Baltic Sea Region can turn tested approaches into practical policy recommendations.
10 October, 2026
Helsinki EPIC Workshop develops three ideas for transnational cooperation on crisis preparedness
At the third EPIC workshop in Helsinki, occupational safety and health experts developed three project ideas to strengthen workforce resilience and crisis preparedness. Building on earlier discussions in Tallinn, they explored opportunities for transnational cooperation.
25 September, 2026
Arts on Prescription project for being shortlisted for the European Social Services Awards 2026
Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region has been shortlisted in the Public Sector Collaboration in Social Services category. The nomination recognises the project’s strong cross-sectoral and transnational partnership and its work to advance arts-based approaches to mental health and well-being.
21 September, 2026
ArtWell NET Meets in Ukraine: Two-Way Learning Through Arts, Health and Resilience
The third international meeting of the Arts for Health and Well-being Network (ArtWell NET) brought partners from Ukraine, Sweden, Poland and Estonia together in Kolomyia, Ukraine. The meeting focused on how the Baltic Arts on Prescription model could be adapted to the Ukrainian context and what the wider Baltic Sea Region can learn from Ukraine’s experience of supporting mental health during wartime.
21 September, 2026
Internship Programme 2026/27
The NDPHS Secretariat in Stockholm is offering paid internships for 2026–2027. Gain hands-on experience in an international environment while contributing to public health, mental health and health-promotion activities.
21 September, 2026
Arts on Prescription: Estonia Explores the Positive Side Effects of Connection and Belonging
Arts on Prescription has now become part of the public discussion in Estonia. At the 2026 Opinion Festival in Paide, the Estonian Coalition for Mental Health and Well-being VATEK invited representatives from healthcare, public health, culture, local government and policymaking to explore what the approach could look like in the Estonian context.
10 September, 2026
ASA Expert Group Meeting in Tallinn Explores the Future of Alcohol and Substance Use Policy in the Baltic Sea Region
The 30th Meeting of the NDPHS Alcohol and Substance Use Expert Group (ASA EG) was held in Tallinn, Estonia, on 17–18 June 2026. Experts from the Baltic Sea Region, together with representatives from WHO Europe, the Nordic Welfare Centre, NordAN, Movendi International and the NDPHS Secretariat, discussed alcohol policy, tobacco control, nicotine products, drug policy, prevention and regional public health cooperation.
26 June, 2026
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