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Acute left colonic diverticulitis (ALCD) in the elderly presents with unique epidemiological features when compared with younger patients. The clinical presentation is more nuanced in the elderly population, having higher in-hospital and postoperative mortality. Furthermore, geriatric comorbidities are a risk factor for complicated diverticulitis. Finally, elderly patients have a lower risk of recurrent episodes and, in case of recurrence, a lower probability of requiring urgent surgery than younger patients. The aim of the present work is to study age-related factors that may support a unique approach to the diagnosis and treatment of this problem in the elderly when compared with the WSES guidelines for the management of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis. During the 1° Pisa Workshop of Acute Care & Trauma Surgery held in Pisa (Italy) in September 2019, with the collaboration of the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), the Italian Society of Geriatric Surgery (SICG), the Italian Hospital Surgeons Association (ACOI), the Italian Emergency Surgery and Trauma Association (SICUT), the Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care (AcEMC) and the Italian Society of Surgical Pathophysiology (SIFIPAC), three panel members presented a number of statements developed for each of the four themes regarding the diagnosis and management of ALCD in older patients, formulated according to the GRADE approach, at a Consensus Conference where a panel of experts participated. The statements were subsequently debated, revised, and finally approved by the Consensus Conference attendees. The current paper is a summary report of the definitive guidelines statements on each of the following topics: diagnosis, management, surgical technique and antibiotic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Health Systems Response Monitor (HSRM) was established in March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to collect and organize up-to-date information on how 50 countries in the WHO European Region and Canada are responding to the crisis. The HSRM uses a structured template, focusing primarily on the responses of health systems but also capturing wider public health initiatives. The HSRM is a joint undertaking of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and the European Commission. The HSRM builds on the Health Systems and Policy Network of the European Observatory, which brings together an international group of high-profile institutions from Europe and beyond with high academic standing in health systems and policy analysis. The content collected on the HSRM platform has been used to enhance cross country learnings through topical snapshots, papers, webinars and more. At the end of 2020, the European Observatory initiated a Health Policy Special Issue (SI) based on the work of the HSRM containing both thematic policy papers and full comparative descriptions and analysis of country responses. Overall, work from the HSRM aims to provide coherent and comprehensive insight on lessons learned from the COVID-19 response so far to support policymakers for future waves or in case of future pandemics. This workshop aims to provide the audience with an overview of the COVID-19 HSRM and the insights gleaned from the SI. An introductory overview will briefly introduce the COVID-19 HSRM and the SI. The first presentation will compare provider payment adjustments across 20 countries. The second presentation will focus on how countries planned services for potential surge capacity, managed care provision, and maintained routine services in both hospital and outpatient settings during the first wave of the pandemic. The third presentation will zoom in on experiences in primary health care. The last presentation will feature one of the country comparison papers from social health insurance countries. The workshop will conclude with an audience discussion about the lessons learned from the COVID-19 HSRM, and future opportunities for research using the HSRM. Key messages: The COVID-19 Health System Response Monitor has tracked the progression of health policies throughout the pandemic and captures particularly policy relevant aspects. Both thematic and cross-country comparisons can illuminate how health systems have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide lessons for future waves and pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the ‘‘Urban Health Rome Declaration’’ at European meeting ‘‘G7 Health’’ that defines the strategic aspects and actions to improve Urban, Environmental and Public Mental Health into the cities, and referring to the Agenda 2030 in which the 11th SDG argue about ‘‘Sustainable Cities and Communities. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’’, one of the most expressive syntheses of the challenging relationship between urban planning and Public Health is stated by WHO (2016): ‘‘Health is the precondition of urban sustainable development and the first priority for urban planners’’. Referring to the Healthy Cities & Urban Health definitions, we can consider Public Health not merely an aspect of individual health protection and promotion, but a collective condition, strongly influenced by the environmental context and by the strategies implemented by local Governments. The ‘‘Health in All Policies’’ strategy, clearly underlines how health depend by the quality of outdoor and indoor living environments. In this scenario, the on-going COVID-19 pandemic is a strong reminder that urbanization has changed the way individuals and communities live, work, and interact, and that it’s urgent to make the urban systems and local communities resilient, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases today and tomorrow. Certainly, the on-going urbanization is achieving an increasing attractiveness/appeal, considering that the urban population is expected to rise to the forecasted 70% by 2050 as stated by the UN Population Division Department. The increase in building density will be one of the main global trends, with significant impacts on Public Health and the increase in risk factors affecting the contemporary city, creating a gap between built and green environments, in terms of alarming living conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic is also an accelerator, revelator and amplifier of the on-going urban emergencies in terms of environmental sustainability and Urban Health, with particular reference to the social, environmental and digital issues. Aim of the skills building seminar titled ‘‘(re)FORMING CITIES DUE TO THE COVID CHALLENGE’’, organized by the three EUPHA Section URB+MEN+ENV, it would like to be to build the capacity and knowledge between participants about the main topics and urban features capable to have relevant Public and Mental Health outcomes, with a specific focus about the COVID-19 pandemic period. For this purpose, after the three presentations, 30minutes will be used to create a discussion with the audience, using digital systems (like MENTIMETER, SOCRATIVE, etc.) to collect opinions and create a live discussion about a specific set of questions and topics. The qualitative approach of the second part of this skills building seminar is opposed to the first part, in which the three presentations will share scientific-evidences and data; both approaches can be further summarized in the drafting of a Position Paper. Key messages: • The WP would build the capacity and knowledge between the audience about the main topics and urban features capable to have relevant ENV, URB & MEN outcomes, focusing the COVID-19 pandemic period. • The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the on-going urban emergencies in terms of sustainability, Urban and Public Mental Health, with particular reference to social, environmental and digital issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing health literacy of children and adolescents is a critical means for health promotion and sustainable development. This is mainly because childhood and adolescence represent key stages for addressing health, social, cognitive, emotional and educational development and influencing health behavior and healthy lifestyles over the life-course. The education sector is particularly important, and schools represent a critical setting to facilitate health literacy teaching and learning, for example in health education classes or whole-of-school approaches. Regarding the question of what makes health literacy so important for children and adolescents these days, there are three key themes and recent developments which amplified the meaning and relevance of health literacy for public health and societies: (i) A globalizing world: Globalization and digitalization change the ways in which health is negotiated and promoted, including that today health information is almost limitlessly accessible in everyday life. (ii) The information overload: The overload of information - a.k.a. infodemic (short for information epidemic) - makes health literacy a critical skill-set in managing the overabundance of information that is available through digital communication channels; while at the same time children and adolescents are increasingly turning to the Internet and social media as sources of health information and for communication about health issues with their peers or social contacts. (iii) The COVID-19 pandemic: The pandemic has once again underlined how important health literacy is not only for understanding public health recommendations, applying health behaviours, avoiding unnecessary risks, and protecting individual, family, and population health, but also to learn about the importance of vaccination, to become knowledgeable and skilled in navigating the infodemic, and to identifying fake news and disinformation about COVID-19. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together five contemporary projects on health literacy from Germany in and with schools that reflect the above issues: (i) A cross-sectional pen-and-paper survey in primary schools on children's health literacy; (ii) A survey on adolescents health literacy; (iii) The development of a toolbox for health literacy interventions in schools; (iv) An intervention for improving adolescent's mental health literacy in schools, (v) A whole school approach and organizational health literacy in schools. Each project will be given ample time to present their findings, which will be followed by Q&A and an open discussion with the audiences. This workshop offers a forum for researchers, practitioners and policymakers interested in school related health literacy and school health promotion. By dialogue and two-way communication, vivid interaction will be ensured, allow building synergies, and facilitate networking and capacity building. Key messages: Health literacy contributes to promoting and maintaining child and adolescent health in times of crisis like the COVID19 pandemic. Health literacy needs to be strengthened through investments in the education sector and school health promotion programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known how vaccines typically require many years of research and testing before being on the market, but in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic pushed scientists to embark on a race to produce safe and effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in record time. In such an emergency situation, striking the right balance between urgency and acceptable safety and efficacy evidence is challenging. Furthermore, other relevant issues need to be more comprehensively addressed, including cost-effectiveness of vaccination campaigns and real-world data on effectiveness and safety. Currently the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved for use four vaccines against COVID-19. Data on their efficacy and safety will continue to be collected beyond licensure and submitted to EMA, but the need for a more complete assessment, which includes contextual and societal considerations (e.g. impact on population health, population’s demand, attitudes and behaviours, ethical considerations) and economic analysis, is unquestionable to support national decision-maker processes. In this kind of ‘‘holistic’’ approach, the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) could be the answer in order to support the allocation of resources into different COVID-19 vaccines and to make it possible a timely and equitable access to vaccination. As also stated in the HTAi Position Paper on ‘‘HTA’s Critical Role in the (Early) Assessment of (potential) Vaccines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 globally’’, the following issues should be carefully tackled: 1) affordability, sustainability and distributional effects; 2) cost-effectiveness considerations; 3) fostering HTA collaborations; 4) need for early, adaptive and living HTA. Accounting for such issues is essential to ensure that HTA is successfully implemented in the field of COVID-19 vaccines, at the present time and in its future developments on a national and international scale. This workshop will discuss how HTA could help the EU-wide and national decision-making process about COVID-19 vaccines. Key messages: An adapted and living HTA framework considering the unique characteristics of COVID-19 vaccines could be an answer to current and future challenges in vaccination campaigns. There are several challenges in current and future HTA of COVID-19 vaccines, namely the evaluation of their broad economic impacts, their effectiveness and safety and organization issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]