Migrations & emergency preparedness – the 4-th meeting of TFM&PH will be held on 24.06.2026

The upcoming meeting of the ASPHER Task Force on Migration and Public Health (online) will be held on 24th of June 2026, at 14:00 CEST

Meeting’s title:

Migrations and emergency preparedness – lessons to learn from the war in Ukraine and other ongoing crises

Program:

• Introduction - Tomasz Bochenek, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; ASPHER, Brussels, Belgium
• Emergency adaptation of existing infrastructure to medical needs: the example of a medical evacuation hub - Adam Szyszka (1), Polish Center for International Aid (PCIA / PCPM), Warsaw – Rzeszów, Poland
• Questions and answers. Discussion on potential collaboration between PCIA and academics from ASPHER
• Key challenges for the healthcare system arising from migration processes in Ukraine - Svitlana Kalashenko (2), Bogomolets Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
• International academic cooperation in the field of public health in the context of the migration crisis caused by the war in Ukraine - Ihor Hushchuk (3), National University of Ostroh Academy, Ostroh, Ukraine
• Questions and answers
• Discussion on the public health – related aspects of the ongoing war in Ukraine
• Conclusions and closing - Tomasz Bochenek

(1) Adam Szyszka is Medevac Hub Team Leader, EMT PCPM Type 1 WHO Emergency Medical Team, Polish Center for International Aid (PCIA / in Pol.: PCPM). He manages the daily operations of the Medevac Hub Jasionka medical transit center, a project under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, supported by the Ministries of Health of Poland and Ukraine, and operated by the PCIA. He has been a paramedic for over 20 years, working in emergency medical teams, emergency departments, and on international rescue, training, and advisory missions. He is a member of the Medical Emergency Team of the PCPM Foundation. Since 2008, his professional experience has been further enhanced by work abroad, including in the USA, Chad, Nepal, Afghanistan, and other countries.

More on the project and PCIA / PCPM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgkhQFsl_Vs&t=4s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySMEiMJ7HWc

https://pcpm.org.pl/en/

(2) Svitlana Kalashchenko, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Emergency Medicine and Tactical Medicine, Bogomolets National Medical University, Ukraine. Her professional interests include public health, health emergency preparedness and response, CBRN preparedness, and health workforce capacity strengthening. She is actively involved in international projects and educational initiatives in cooperation with the WHO, CDC, and European partners.

Bogomolets National Medical University is one of Ukraine’s leading medical universities, providing education and training in medicine and public health while actively engaging in international educational and scientific cooperation.

Website of the Bogomolets Medical University:

https://nmuofficial.com/en/

(3) Ihor Hushchuk  (Igor Gushchuk) - Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head of the NGO "UKRAINIAN ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH", Head of the Department of Public Health and Physical Education, Head of the Research Center "Human Ecology and Public Health Protection" of the National University "Ostroh Academy", which is the first institution of higher education in Eastern Europe on the territory of modern Ukraine (celebrates its 450th anniversary). Expert in public health, preventive medicine, biosafety, hygiene, and occupational pathology.  Member of the UEMS (European Union of Medical Specialists) in public health; author and co-author of 253 scientific and practical works, and publications in fields of preventive medicine, biosafety, public health, and environmental protection. Editor-in-Chief of the professional journal "Public Health Journal"  https://journals.ostroh-academy.rv.ua/index.php/publichealth

For many years, Professor Ihor Hushchuk has been actively developing international cooperation in public health, medical education, and preventive medicine, contributing to the integration of the Ukrainian scientific community into the European academic space.

Website of the National University of Ostroh Academy:

https://www.oa.edu.ua/en/

Invitations to the meeting on Teams are sent upon request. See you soon!

Tomasz