31/03/2026
SEPA is laying the foundation for a global bridge connecting oral health professionals through a pioneering initiative: “Working Together.” Its mission is to strengthen collaboration between dental professionals and key public health stakeholders, aligned with international health priorities. The first focus is the fight against to***co and ni****ne, marked by the launch of a worldwide online symposium.
This global effort is made possible thanks to a philanthropic donation from Professor Paul Levi Jr. (Harvard University), within the Levi-Richman Integration Initiative of the AAP Foundation. The collaboration between SEPA and the AAP, supported by Prof. Levi, aims to position oral health—and its professionals—at the forefront of addressing major modifiable risk factors such as to***co, ni****ne, and diabetes, all of which have significant implications for periodontal and overall health.
First focus: to***co
On June 4, 2026, from 15:00 to 16:00 (CET), the SEPA Foundation and the European Network for Smoking and To***co Prevention (ENSP) will host the first global online symposium, “Working Together to Stop To***co and Nicotine.” The goal is to reinforce global efforts in to***co and ni****ne prevention and cessation within dental practice. Experts from more than twenty countries—from the United States to Australia, and across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia—have already confirmed participation.
The event will include a global session in English, followed by country-specific sessions in local languages. With over 20 countries involved and 2–3 speakers per nation, more than fifty leading experts are expected to take part.
Beyond reviewing each country’s situation, the symposium will highlight the essential role of oral health professionals as strategic agents in preventing and addressing to***co and ni****ne use, and their contribution to a more integrated public health response.
The scientific committee includes Panagiotis Behrakis, Eleana Stoufi, and Francisco Rodríguez Lozano (ENSP), and Paula Matesanz, Regina Izquierdo, and Xiomara Giménez (SEPA).
