News

Public health successes and missed opportunities - new report on alcohol-attributable deaths 28-09-2016

For the first time, trends in alcohol consumption and related mortality have been examined systematically for all countries in the WHO European Region for an extended period. WHO/Europe’s new report “Public health successes and missed opportunities. Trends in alcohol consumption and attributable mortality in the WHO European Region, 1990–2014” shows that over the past 25 years alcohol-attributable deaths increased by 4%.

Day 4 highlights: countries commit to strengthening the use of evidence and research in policy-making 15-09-2016

On the final day of the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Member States adopted a European action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making. They also approved an action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, which complements global plans and builds on the previous regional strategy.

Day 3 highlights: agreement on women’s health strategy and action plans for HIV and viral hepatitis 14-09-2016

Dr Margaret Chan welcomed the WHO Regional Committee for Europe’s adoption of a European strategy for women’s health as well as action plans for both HIV and viral hepatitis in her plenary address, affirming the WHO European Region’s position at the forefront of global health developments.

Day 2 highlights: RC66 adopts European strategy and action plan for refugee and migrant health 13-09-2016

On the second day of the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC66), Member States and partners warmly received the development of a regional roadmap to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and a strategy and action plan for refugee and migrant health in the WHO European Region.

Day 1 highlights: RC66 opens – health central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 12-09-2016

Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Denmark and the WHO Regional Director for Europe opened the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC66), welcoming over 400 delegates to Copenhagen, Denmark. The overarching theme was the central role of health in “leaving no one behind” as countries embark on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

First-of-its-kind training targets medicine pricing policies 11-09-2016

A summer school on pharmaceutical pricing – the first of its kind – helped train high-level civil servants in the WHO European Region in shaping and implementing policies for pricing medicines. The Austrian Health Institute, designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies, organized the five-day course in collaboration with WHO/Europe. It ran from 29 August to 2 September.

WHO governing body for the European Region convenes with eight strategic proposals on the agenda 08-09-2016

At the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, to be held in Copenhagen from 12 to 15 September, representatives from the 53 countries in the WHO European Region will debate a set of innovative action plans that affect public health. The plans call for accelerated action and stronger political commitment on refugee and migrant health, women’s health, sexual and reproductive health, noncommunicable diseases, HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, integrated health services and the use of data in public health.

Evidence-informed policy-making in the spotlight in new edition of Public Health Panorama 07-09-2016

Public Health Panorama, volume 2, issue 3 has been published to coincide with the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC66) and the presentation of the Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region. This new issue of Panorama contains a treasure trove of articles exploring how countries are bridging the gap between evidence and policy in different ways and situations.

WHO Europe launches new action plan for noncommunicable diseases, appeals for urgent joint policy action to achieve global goals and targets 06-09-2016

The WHO European Region has made progress in key areas of noncommunicable disease (NCD) control: death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) continue to decline, the clear downward trend in smoking continues, and alcohol intake is steadily decreasing. However, this overall European picture masks significant differences within and between countries and population groups; WHO/Europe estimates that the Region will fall short of the global goals of reducing tobacco use and physical inactivity and simply fail to halt the rise in obesity unless action is accelerated.

WHO/Europe Regional Committee App now available 01-09-2016

The event guide app for the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC66) gives quick access to all the practical information that delegates and other participants need. With the app you can find details of upcoming sessions, access all documents (in English, French, German and Russian), find your way at the venue and in Copenhagen, check the weather forecast, social events and transport schedules, and receive notifications about important changes to the programme. You can also share photos, join the conversation on Twitter and interact with other participants.

Speaking out on hepatitis, the silent killer 26-07-2016

Though effective tools are available now to prevent and treat viral hepatitis, more than 400 people across the WHO European Region still die from causes related to viral hepatitis every day. In September, WHO/Europe will submit an action plan setting the ambitious goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the Region by 2030. Here, people with first-hand experience of hepatitis tell their stories.

New report calls for improved maternal nutrition to decrease children’s long-term risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity 29-06-2016

The nutritional well-being of pregnant women affects not only their health and their fetuses' development but also children's long-term risk of developing NCDs or obesity, according to WHO/Europe's new report, "Good maternal nutrition. The best start in life".

WHO/Europe stands with refugees on World Refugee Day 20-06-2016

Over 1 million refugees and migrants arrived in European countries in 2015, and more than 200 000 have arrived during the first 5 months of 2016. On World Refugee Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reminds us to "recall our common humanity, celebrate tolerance and diversity and open our hearts to refugees everywhere". WHO/Europe reaffirms that it stands with refugees, both within the Region and around the world.

WHO validates elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Armenia, Belarus and the Republic of Moldova 08-06-2016

United Nations agencies congratulate Belarus for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and syphilis and Armenia and the Republic of Moldova for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, respectively. During a ceremony in New York City, elimination validation certificates were presented to the ministers of health of the three European countries, who were attending the United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on ending AIDS.

Closing of the World Health Assembly: WHO Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors adopted 01-06-2016

The World Health Assembly has adopted the WHO Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA), after more than 2 years of intergovernmental negotiations.

Day 4 of the World Health Assembly: Two new strategies call for action on women's and children's health, ageing 01-06-2016

On 26 May, delegates at the World Health Assembly agreed to implement two new health strategies, both closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Day 3 of the World Health Assembly: New Health Emergencies Programme adopted 31-05-2016

On the third day of the Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly, WHO Member States agreed to one of the most profound transformations in the Organization's history – establishing a new health emergencies programme.

Day 2 of the World Health Assembly: Highlights for the European Region 26-05-2016

Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, addressed the World Health Assembly on 24 May 2016. She stressed the links between climate change and health, including those related to the spread of vector-borne diseases. Her address was followed by a technical briefing that underscored the need for multisectoral action for achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and agreement on a new resolution on meeting those goals.

Opening day of World Health Assembly: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in focus 24-05-2016

WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan opened the Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly with words of celebration, warning and hope.Dr Chan celebrated recent progress in global public health, particularly in combating HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and poliomyelitis, as well as in improving maternal and child health. But she warned that the recent outbreaks of Ebola, MERS coronavirus, Zika and urban yellow fever signalled a "dramatic resurgence of the threat from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases".

WHO strategy highlights challenges and way forward for women’s health 18-05-2016

Although women in the WHO European Region generally have longer life expectancy than men, they also spend more years in ill health. The quality of life and well-being they experience is often unsatisfactory and there are also health inequities within and between countries in the Region. To unlock enormous gains, reduce inequalities and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), women and girls must be able to fully realize their right to health with a focus on gender-specific needs.

Transforming integrated health service delivery in the WHO European Region 11-05-2016

"Everything starts with people. Without people there is no health system." This sentiment was echoed in keynote presentations, illustrative country cases and expert interventions throughout the 2-day final consultation of the European Framework for Action on Integrated Health Services Delivery in discussions of entry points and processes for integrated health service delivery that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 2–3 May 2016.

Europe shapes new action plans on HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis 12-04-2016

Two advisory committees met in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 4–5 April 2016 to guide new action plans on HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis for the WHO European Region 2016–2021.

Towards a European strategy for women’s health 08-03-2016

Just over half of the 900 million people living in the WHO European Region (463 million) are women.

Collaboration on refugee and migrant health 21-01-2016

Countries in the WHO European Region have agreed to prepare a common framework for coordinated collaboration and action on refugee and migrant health, based on solidarity and mutual assistance and in the spirit of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda, whereby "no one should be left behind".