The first meeting of the Programme Council of the Health Communication Congress, held as part of the activities of the Stop Obesity Partnership, is behind us.
During the meeting, experts discussed the role of social communication in shaping pro-health attitudes, the challenges of public health, and the need for integrated actions to improve awareness, prevention, and effective treatment of obesity.
Discussions also focused on the conceptual and organizational framework of the first edition of the Health Communication Congress, which will take place in 2026.
Topics covered included, among others:
- the importance of health as a civilizational value,
- the responsibility of the media in health communication,
- health education and early prevention,
- building partnerships between the public sector, academia, business, and civil society.
Members of the Programme Council
Dr Małgorzata Gałązka-Sobotka – economist, expert in strategic management and public health, Director of the Institute of Healthcare Management at Łazarski University
Marta Pawłowska, MBA – expert in communication, health promotion, and prevention, Chair of the Presidium of the Stop Obesity Partnership
Elżbieta Twardowska – Strategic Director at OGILVY Group, expert in marketing strategy
Dr hab. Iwona Kowalska-Bobko, Prof. UJ – Director of the Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College
Dr hab. Justyna Klingemann – sociologist of health and medicine, public health expert
Dr hab. Agnieszka Sowa-Kofta – sociologist and economist
Dr Anna Zimny-Zając – Editor-in-Chief of Medonet.pl
Katarzyna Pinkosz – medical journalist
Dr Paulina Ihnatowicz – clinical dietitian, healthy lifestyle expert
Izabella Laskowska – Director of the Communication Office at the Ministry of Health
Katarzyna Krzywicka-Zdunek – sociologist, researcher, speaker
Dorota Peretiatkowicz – sociologist, researcher, speaker
Małgorzata Baran – Editor-in-Chief of Proto.pl
Wojciech Eichelberger – psychologist, psychotherapist, trainer, and business advisor
Dr hab. Tomasz Sobierajski – sociologist, healthologist, social researcher
Bogusław Chrabota – television and press journalist, Editor-in-Chief of Rzeczpospolita daily
Prof. dr hab. Paweł Bogdański – specialist in internal medicine and hypertension, Past President of the Polish Society for the Treatment of Obesity, member of the Presidium of the Stop Obesity Partnership
Prof. dr hab. Maciej Banach – cardiologist, academic teacher, member of numerous Polish and international medical societies
Dr hab. Paweł Koczkodaj, Prof. NIO – expert in cancer prevention, researcher in health prevention
Michał Domaszewski – family medicine specialist, founder of the partner network “Ambassadors of Health”
Paweł Gala – expert in advertising and media research, Managing Director of Wavemaker Poland
Dr Jan Śpiewak – sociologist, publicist, social activist
The first meeting of the Programme Council marked an important step in preparing for the Congress, which aims to become a nationwide platform for exchanging experiences and best practices in health communication, bringing together experts from academia, the media, public administration, and the healthcare sector.