Building on a collaboration between the Harvard University School of Public Health and the Hellenic Cancer Society, the Institute of Public Health (IPH) was established in 2016 by The American College of Greece. The IPH has engaged, through a U.S.-modeled comprehensive strategy, thousands of people annually with significant research, practical guidance, and information about giving up smoking and other pressing public health issues.
Since its inception, the IPH has focused on combatting Greece’s high rate of smoking and related health costs through the SMOKEFREEGREECE Initiative targeting primarily Greek youth. Funded by the George Behrakis Family Foundation, the SMOKEFREEGREECE initiative lowered Greece’s projected 10-year healthcare costs by $1.3B and contributed to Greece leading the European Union in smoking reduction. As this successful campaign winds down, ACG remains committed to addressing smoking cessation and expanding the IPH’s work to address additional public health issues, such as childhood obesity and mental health.
ACG leadership is currently assessing how to best leverage the institution’s academic strengths, public-private partnerships and state-of-the-art facilities for Greece’s maximum public health benefit, including introducing new initiatives, projects and related academic and community outreach programs.