HDRI Joins the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)

Paris, October 2026

We are delighted to announce that the Human Development Research Initiative (HDRI) has officially become a member of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), following the unanimous approval of our application by EPHA’s Management Board.

EPHA is one of Europe’s leading civil society alliances working for better health. It brings together public health NGOs, patient groups, health professionals and disease-specific organisations from across the continent. Its work rests on a simple conviction: health is shaped by far more than healthcare. It also depends on the air we breathe, the food we eat, the digital spaces we inhabit, and the social and economic conditions we live in. Through advocacy, research and coalition-building, EPHA helps put people’s health and wellbeing at the heart of European policymaking.

For HDRI, joining EPHA is a natural step. Our work on youth civic participation, digital wellbeing, climate and democratic governance keeps leading us back to the same question: what does it take for young people to live healthy, dignified and fulfilling lives? Mental health, online harms, environmental change and social exclusion are not separate issues for the young people we work with. They are part of everyday life. Being part of EPHA allows us to bring these lived realities into European health debates, and to learn from organisations that have championed public health for decades.

This membership also builds on the collaboration we have already started with EPHA colleagues. It has shown us how much can be achieved when youth organisations and public health experts work side by side.

“We are proud and grateful to join the EPHA family,” said Gurgen Petrosyan, President of HDRI. “Young people are too often discussed in health policy rather than heard. Through this membership, we want to help change that and make sure that youth voices, especially those of young people who are most often left behind, shape the decisions that affect their health and their future.”

As a member, HDRI will take part in EPHA’s policy work, working groups and campaigns. We will contribute a youth perspective on issues such as mental health, digital wellbeing, health equity, and the links between environment and health.

We warmly thank the EPHA Management Board and the whole EPHA team for their trust and their warm welcome. We look forward to everything we will build together.

To learn more about EPHA and its work, visit epha.org.

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