Specchio, a tool for public health

Organised on 21 September by the Department of Health and Mobility (DSM) of the General Directorate of Health (DGS), this annual meeting featured a number of conferences and workshops attended by around a hundred people working in the field of health prevention and promotion in Geneva.

It provided an opportunity for fruitful exchanges on current public health issues in the canton, and for joint workshops on topics as diverse as the evaluation of public health projects and the practical application of behavioural sciences with experts in these fields, including Prof. Olivier Desrichard, from the University of Geneva, a specialist in health psychology.

The skills and expertise of the people brought together provided a key forum for professional exchange for the Specchiostudy, whose project leader Hélène Baysson, an epidemiologist, publicly presented its objectives and strengths. She also had the opportunity to describe the initial results to local health partners, notably on the territorial distribution of depressive disorders and obesity, as well as avenues of research into the impact of noise and teleworking on health. As a useful scientific tool for monitoring the health of the people of Geneva over the long term, Specchio attracted a great deal of interest from the audience.

Specchio was also an ideal opportunity to pursue collaborations with Geneva's community-based organisations, with the aim of representing all of Geneva's diverse population in Specchio.