"Digital Public Health" Workshop Brings Together International Experts in Lugano

On July 9–10, 2026, the Digital Public Health: Conceptual Architecture, Workforce Preparation, and Systems Transformation workshop was held at the East Campus of the Università della Svizzera italiana, organized by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in collaboration with the University of Zurich.

The event brought together researchers and experts from several international institutions, including the University of Zurich, the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, the University of Bordeaux, Maastricht University, the University of Arizona, the University of Pavia, the University of Toronto, King's College London, and the University of Bremen, alongside IPH faculty.

The workshop aimed to address the conceptual fragmentation that still characterizes Digital Public Health (DiPH) as a field of study and practice, seeking to identify its shared foundational elements. The work focused on three main areas: defining the principles and conceptual components of DiPH in relation to traditional public health, mapping existing research, governance, and training initiatives, and reaching a shared definition of the essence of this emerging discipline.

Through a participatory and structured approach, participants worked in interactive groups, with AI-supported exercises and sessions dedicated to competency design, culminating in the co-production of a draft for a high-impact scientific publication on the topic.

The event was made possible thanks to funding from the SNSF Scientific Exchange programme (project #242804), awarded to Prof. Emiliano Albanese, Director of IPH, and Prof. Viktor von Wyl (University of Zurich, Digital Society Initiative).

For more information: https://www.iph.usi.ch/en/ricerca/progetti