Regional health policy development: Regions for Health Network

Since the adoption of the WHO regional policy for health for all, comprehensive policies to improve health have been developed at all levels in the countries of the European Region.

WHO meetings in Lugano, Switzerland, and Cardiff, United Kingdom, showed that regions in countries had amassed much useful experience in policy development and health promotion, and wanted to establish effective ways to exchange such information.

WHO therefore held a third meeting on 16 17 November 1992 in Düsseldorf, Germany, formally to found the Regions for Health Network (RHN), to decide on its operation, funding, evaluation and development, and to consider proposals for a plan of action for the following two years.

Defining a region in broad terms, representatives of WHO and 11 regions of different types signed a statement of intent to establish RHN as a means for joint work towards health for all. On the basis of the statement, the founding members also selected the means to organize, operate and develop RHN and agreed on the immediate concerns and the first tasks to be accomplished.