Public Health Leadership: Ambition, Challenges, and Unmet Expectations in Tobacco Control

On January 10th, at 2:00 pm, Margarida Tavares will present a seminar entitled: “Public Health Leadership: Ambition, Challenges, and Unmet Expectations in Tobacco Control”. It will take place at ISPUP auditorium and it has free admission.

This seminar will focus on the experience of the speaker as the Secretary of State of Health Promotion in the XXIII Government of the Portuguese Republic, with a particular emphasis on tobacco control initiatives during her tenure. A central aspect of the discussion will be the proposal for changes to tobacco legislation presented to and debated in the Portuguese Parliament in 2023. The seminar will explore the speaker’s ambitious vision behind the law, the challenges faced in navigating the complex political, economic, and public health environments, and the unmet expectations in advancing comprehensive tobacco control measures.

The seminar will also address the influence of commercial interests, political shifts, and public perceptions on tobacco regulation. Reflecting on these challenges, the speaker will share the lessons learned throughout this process, underscoring the importance of strong leadership, evidence-based policies, and the need for continued efforts to reduce tobacco consumption and mitigate its public health impacts. Through this reflection, the seminar will provide insights into the complexities of health policy-making and the critical role of leadership in shaping effective public health strategies.

More about Margarida Tavares:

Margarida Tavares graduated in Medicine from the University of Porto Medical School and holds a Master of Public Health degree with a specialization in Infectious Risk from the École de Santé Publique Pasteur – Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (Pasteur-Cnam School of Public Health) in Paris, France.

She is currently a consultant in Infectious Diseases and Director of the Board of the Autonomous Unit for Emergency and Intensive Care at the Unidade Local de Saúde de São João (ULSSJ). She is also a member of the EPI Unit research group at the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP) and of the Associated Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR, LA/P/0064/2020).

She served as Secretary of State for Health Promotion in the XXIII Government of the Portuguese Republic, Director of the National Program for STIs and HIV Infection, and Clinical Director of the São João University Hospital Center.

She was also a member and spokesperson for the National Rapid Response Team to the Emergence of Human Infection by Monkeypox Virus (Mpox), a member of the COVID-19 Task Force, and of the National Operational Group for the Flu Pandemic at the Directorate-General of Health.

Key professional and technical areas: Emerging Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology and Public Health, and Health Policy and Health Services Management.

Research interests: Emerging Infectious Diseases, HIV Infection, Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases, and Public Health.