The year ahead: key events for the WHO European Region in 2019

The coming year promises to be a busy and exciting one in the WHO European Region. WHO/Europe and the Member States will maintain their focus on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and embarking on the 13th General Programme of Work, WHO’s global plan for the next 5 years.

The Region will build on the global pledge of 1 billion more people benefiting from universal health coverage, 1 billion more protected from health emergencies and 1 billion more enjoying better health and well-being. At the same time, the Region will take stock of progress to implement Health 2020 and will place greater emphasis on specific areas of work such as digital health and health equity, with major events covering these topics planned for the first half of the year.

The list below offers a first look at some of the key moments for health in the European Region coming up over the next 12 months.

WHO Symposium on the Future of Digital Health Systems in the European Region (6–8 February, Copenhagen, Denmark): The Symposium will bring together evidence and experience to show how governments and organizations can adopt digital health to reduce inequalities and improve the health and well-being of populations.

Ministerial meeting on the Action Plan to Improve Public Health Preparedness and Response (12–14 February, Istanbul, Turkey): The high-level meeting will bring together representatives from the Member States to galvanize their commitment for full implementation of the first Action Plan to Improve Public Health Preparedness and Response in the WHO European Region.

Sixth High-level Meeting of Small Countries (31 March–2 April, San Marino): Equity will be the overarching theme of the meeting, ahead of the launch of WHO/Europe’s forthcoming Health Equity Status Report. This will allow the 8 countries of the Small Countries Initiative to continue acting as pioneers in support of the strategic agenda of WHO/Europe.

Time to Deliver – WHO European High-level Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases “Achieving Sustainable Development Goal targets in the WHO European Region through prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases over the life-course” (9–10 April, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan): While countries of the European Region have made significant progress in addressing global noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) agenda, now is the time to review advances and decide on next steps.

High-level meeting on health equity (11–13 June, Ljubljana, Slovenia): Attention to health equity, gender equality and the right to the highest attainable standard of health has never been more important, and WHO/Europe is working to ensure that equity is central to the implementation of its programmes, its multiagency and multisectoral policies and its partnerships.

25th annual meeting of the Regions for Health Network (26–28 June, Meuse-Rhine Region): The 25th anniversary of the WHO Regions for Health Network (RHN) will be marked at the annual conference, which is being jointly organized with the European Committee of the Regions in the Meuse-Rhine Region – the only cross-border region in the RHN. The theme for the meeting will be “keeping people at the centre of health and sustainable development policies”, with a focus on equity and involving citizens in the process of health policy-making.

United Nations high-level meeting on universal health coverage (September, New York): The global push towards universal health coverage (UHC) – mirrored in WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work, where UHC is 1 of 3 strategic priorities – will take centre-stage during a high-level meeting to be held during the United Nations General Assembly.

69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe and election of new Regional Director (16–19 September, Copenhagen, Denmark): The European Region’s governing body will meet to discuss and take collective action on major health issues, such as health equity and primary health care.

Fifth High-level Meeting on Transport, Health and Environment (22–24 October, Vienna, Austria): The WHO/United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) is a policy framework that fosters partnerships across sectors and actors to achieve environmentally friendly, economically viable, socially fair and healthy mobility all over Europe.

Fifth session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP5) to the WHO/UNECE Protocol on Water and Health (19–21 November, Belgrade, Serbia): The MOP meets every 3 years and is the main governing body of the Protocol. This year the focus will be on aligning the work under the Protocol with the SDGs, specifically enhancing activity towards translating the aspirations of SDG 6 on water and sanitation for regional and national contexts.

Romania’s, followed by Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (January–June, and July–December 2019): For the trio Presidency (Romania, Finland and Croatia) priorities for public health will focus on access to health-care for all European Union citizens, ensuring patient safety and mobility, and harnessing the opportunities of new medical technologies.

Original source: WHO
Published on 23 January 2019