The participants of the hybrid, scientific-practical conference entitled, "The Department of Public Health: Where The Past Extends a Hand to the Future". Photo: VU MF
On 21 October, the hybrid, scientific-practical conference entitled, The Department of Public Health: Where The Past Extends a Hand to the Future, took place to commemorate the centenary of the foundation of the Department of Public Health at the Institute of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University (VU MF). The conference focused on the history of the Department of Public Health, with participants sharing memories of the department, its employees and its importance for the professional activities of individuals. A publication commemorating the anniversary of the Department of Public Health was also presented.
An abundance of greetings at the centenary celebration
“Public health has always existed as a branch of science. We represent the specialty, that is really concerned with and fighting for human health, a clean environment, and keeping our children and future generations healthy. In fact, we improve things for ourselves and the generations that will follow,” said Prof. Dr. Rimantas Stukas, Head of the Department of Public Health, at the opening of the conference.
The Dean of the Department of Public Health, Prof. Algirdas Utkus, in his second term in office, made a welcome address at the conference and explained, “The Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University with over 20 academic departments, has a solid historical foundation, fosters deep traditions, and protects the values of science and research. The Department of Public Health, which is celebrating its centenary, is an integral part of the faculty whose social status has grown and significantly strengthened during the century. Therefore, this sort of department we see today, is the result of the long and thorough work of several generations.”
Prof. Dalius Jatužis, who will take up the position of the Dean of VU MF from November, welcomed the participants to the conference: “The Department of Public Health is one of the most meaningful in our faculty. Why? There is a very simple answer. If we go out onto the street and ask the first person we come to – what is the greatest asset of a person – probably, 9 out of 10 will answer that health is something we cannot buy, we must cherish it. <...> Challenges await, but given our department’s beautiful past, I think we can look to the future with pride.”
Among the guests who congratulated the department were Prof. Dr. Natalja Istomina, Director of the Institute of Health Sciences of the VU MF, Dr. Živilė Gudlevičienė, Advisor to the Prime Minister on health issues, Egidijus Jankauskas, an employee of the Committee on Health Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and graduate of the Department of Public Health (on behalf of Antanas Matulas, Chairman of the Committee on Health Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania), Audrius Ščeponavičius, Director of the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, and Ingrida Zurlyte, Head of the World Health Organization Country Office.
Prof. R. Stukas presented the publication "Visuomenės sveikatos katedrai 100 metų" ("Department of Public Health, a 100 Years"). Photo: VU MF
Development aspects of the Department of Public Health
In the first part of the conference, Development Aspects of the Department of Public Health, Prof. R. Stukas presented the publication Visuomenės sveikatos katedrai 100 metų (Department of Public Health, a 100 Years), which reviewed the history of the department that was founded in 1922, the changes that took place over the course of the years and the achievements. “The Department of Public Health (then the Department of Hygiene), established in 1922, was a response to the growing need for knowledge and skills in preventive medicine in the training of medical doctors. The establishment of the department was in line with the global challenges, needs and trends of the time, and the scientists who worked in the department met the scientific and practical needs of public health knowledge,” said the professor.
According to Prof. Stukas, the changing epidemiological picture of population health and the growing need for health preservation, and the strengthening and management of care services, led in 1962 to launching of the training of the first public health specialists, known as sanitary-hygiene doctors (since 1968 they have been called hygienists, epidemiologists), who were trained in the department headed by Prof. Vladas Kviklys. Since 1998, the Department of Public Health has awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public health, training modern public health professionals whose competencies are changing and adapt according to global public health needs.
During the conference, Dr. Aistis Žalnora, from the Unit of Medicine History and Ethics at the Department of Public Health, presented the most important developments and significant dates in the history of the department. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marija Jakubauskienė of the Department of Public Health made the presentation Public Health: Changing with Time, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jeronimas Maskeliūnas (lecturer at the Department of Hygiene 1972–1991, and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 1985–1990), presented Remembering the First Lecturers of the Department of Hygiene.
The second part of the conference was dedicated to the alumni feedback, speeches, greetings and discussions. The following graduates of the department made speeches: Albinas Maslauskas (a 1971 graduate), Viktorija Montvilienė (a 1977 graduate), Dr. Žymantė Jankauskienė (a 1988 graduate), Ingrida Miliūtė (a 2000 graduate), Dr. Remigijus Jankauskas (a 1984 graduate and Director of the Institute of Hygiene), Giedrė Aleksienė (a 1994 graduate and Head of the Department of the Communicable Diseases Management Division of the National Public Health Centre under the Ministry of Health), Ramunė Stasiūnaitienė (a 1985 graduate, Deputy Director of the Radiation Protection Centre) and Guoda Ropaitė-Beigė (Director of the Vilnius Public Health Office).
Find moments, captured during the event, here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAcyWA
From the left: prof. D. Jatužis, prof. N. Istomina, prof. A. Utkus, assoc. dr. R. Sketerskienė, prof. R. Stukas. Photo: VU MF