News

Improving routine health information systems in the European Region 07-07-2021
Routine health information systems (RHISs) have the potential to dramatically improve decision-making among health-care professionals in the WHO European Region. However, a new study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health has identified challenges which make staff reluctant to adopt new technology that may help improve patient outcomes.
Balancing health and personal data protection: operational and policy considerations 08-06-2021
Public health institutions are increasingly required to balance fundamental rights and data protection principles. To address this, WHO/Europe has released easy-to-implement steps to allow any organization in public health to increase its level of data protection compliance.
Using big data to inform health care: opportunities, challenges and considerations 26-05-2021
Big data analytics has the potential to transform health care in the coming years. Medium to high levels of accuracy have been recorded in the analysis of large data sets aiming to diagnose and predict clinical outcomes and complications associated with several chronic diseases. These include diabetes mellitus as well as mental health disorders, including the prediction of suicidal behaviour.
WHO/Europe helps Central Asian countries transition to an improved International Classification of Diseases 17-03-2021
WHO/Europe is supporting 5 Central Asian countries to make the transition to the new and improved 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), an essential health information tool for the classification of medical conditions and disease that allows health professionals across the globe to make and record accurate and swift diagnoses.
New data reveals significant gaps in influenza immunization of those who need it most in Europe 15-12-2020
WHO set a target in 2003 that 75% of elderly people should be vaccinated against influenza each year. The most recent data (2018/2019), published this week on the European Health Information Gateway, reveals that only 1 country out of 28 reporting coverage in the WHO European Region achieved that target – Belarus. More than 60% coverage was achieved by only 4 countries – Ireland, Portugal, Russian Federation and the United Kingdom.
New publication to support national health research systems strengthening 10-06-2020
A recently published WHO Health Evidence Network (HEN) report provides a synthesis of all the best available global evidence on policies, interventions and tools for effectively establishing, strengthening and unifying national health research systems.
Launching the 2020 Culture and Health webinar Series 27-01-2020
WHO/Europe is pleased to release details of the 2020 Culture and Health webinar series. For the second year running, the series shines a spotlight on the cultural contexts of contemporary health challenges.
Building bridges for public health 13-12-2019
Building bridges for solidarity and public health was the focus of this year’s European Public Health (EPH) Conference organized by the European Public Health Association with the Société Française de Santé Publique, where attendees from WHO/Europe contributed on a range of topics from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to migrant health.
Day 1 highlights: RC69 opens 16-09-2019
Health 2020, health equity and public health leadership were key themes on the first day of the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC69). The session opened with a charming series of international songs performed by the children’s choir of The Royal Danish Academy of Music.
Public Health Panorama special issue announced on arts and health 17-07-2019
Public Health Panorama, WHO/Europe’s journal, will dedicate a special issue to arts and health in the WHO European Region in early 2020. The journal has put out a call for papers, underlining WHO/Europe’s growing engagement with the positive associations between the arts, health and well-being.
New policy brief on tackling antibiotic resistance provides policy guidance using a cultural contexts approach 22-02-2019
Understanding how cultural factors shape the use, transmission and regulation of antibiotics can help improve the fight against antibiotic resistance (ABR), argues a new WHO policy brief launched today. ABR is a critical contemporary global health challenge. By helping to recast ABR as a social and cultural as well as a biological issue, the policy brief broadens the basis for possible policy intervention and action to reduce ABR.
How can policy-makers measure implementation of a life-course approach? A new report analyses the best available evidence 21-02-2019
Applying a life-course approach to understanding health and well-being has become a cornerstone of research and policy-making. A life-course approach views health on a dynamic continuum, not as a set of isolated health states, in order to explain disease patterns and other variations such as health inequalities across populations and over time.
Autumn School for health information and evidence for policy-making honours its very first supporter 12-02-2019
WHO has recognized the contribution of Professor André van der Zande, former Director-General of the Dutch National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) for his founding role in establishing the European Health Information Initiative (EHII) and the Autumn school for health information and evidence for policy. The letter of appreciation from Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe was presented at the occasion of the 6th Autumn School held in The Hague, the Netherlands on 29 January – 1 February 2019.
New report on addressing communication barriers for refugees and migrants in the WHO European Region 05-12-2018
The provision of effective health care to linguistically and culturally diverse migrant populations is a critical public health challenge. Communication barriers can severely hamper refugee and migrants’ access to, and use of, health-care services. To help inform the development of national policies, a new Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report has been published summarizing the best available evidence on strategies to address communication barriers for refugees and migrants in health-care settings across the WHO European Region. This is the 9th report of the HEN themed issues on migration and health.
Promoting evidence-informed policy development to combat antimicrobial resistance in Slovenia 26-11-2018
A newly published Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe evidence brief is assisting Slovenia in tackling the problem of prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics to older people in long-term care facilities. EVIPNet Europe evidence briefs are user-friendly syntheses of the best available evidence from global and local research that address a specific policy problem in a concise way.
New report on front-of-pack nutrition labelling identifies what works better for consumers 25-10-2018
Poor diet is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity across the WHO European Region, including contributing to obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. Nutrition labelling, one of the key policy tools that can be leveraged to support healthy diets, is the focus of a newly released Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report showcasing good examples and inspiring countries working actively on food policies to promote healthy diets.
New evidence gives policy-makers insights on measuring community empowerment and resilience 22-10-2018
Improved community empowerment and resilience allow people increased control over factors which influence their health, including access to health care and preventative services, as well as equal opportunity within the community. But while both of these values-based concepts are key to health policy-making, they are also difficult to measure. Two Health Evidence Network (HEN) reports just published by WHO/Europe offer policy-makers new insights, synthesizing the best available evidence on the measurement of these concepts at a national level.
110th Global Health Histories seminar: Polio, immunization and universal health coverage 19-10-2018
Thirty years ago, in 1988, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio) globally by 2000. The resolution described this as “an appropriate gift … from the twentieth to the twenty-first century”.
New report urges scale-up of action on cultural contexts of health and well-being 09-10-2018
WHO/Europe has made good progress in moving beyond the hard numbers and statistical data to capture subjective experiences and enrich our understanding of how cultural factors affect health and well-being, but more can be done to implement new knowledge on the ground, according to a report released today.
WHO consultant wins Health Humanities Medal 2018 award 27-09-2018
Dr Daisy Fancourt, Wellcome Trust Research Fellow at University College London (United Kingdom) and author of the forthcoming WHO Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report on the role of the arts in health and well-being, has won a Health Humanities Medal 2018 award in the category of Best Early Career Research.
Day 3 highlights: Strategy on the health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region adopted 19-09-2018
Why do men die prematurely, and what can be done to change this? And how do we advance public health to meet future societal needs? The Region now has stronger tools to answer these questions, following today’s adoption of the Strategy on the health and well-being of men and a 10-point action plan on public health.
Europeans live longer and healthier lives but progress is uneven, new WHO report says 11-09-2018
WHO’s flagship publication, the European health report 2018, welcomes an increase in life expectancy and reductions in premature mortality, but warns that smoking, alcohol, overweight and obesity and under-vaccination are hindering progress in some countries.
Towards universal health coverage: strengthening the evidence base for policy development in Tajikistan 07-08-2018
Recognizing that collection of accurate and up-to-date data is crucial for evidence-informed policy-making to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), WHO provided support to the Agency for Statistics under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan to gather reliable data on key areas such as health services utilization, unmet need and financial burden. The focus of the work was on updating a health module of the Household Budget Survey (HBS) and providing in-depth training for those who will be conducting the survey.
Second EVIPNet Europe cohort of countries to develop evidence-informed policy on AMR 03-08-2018
Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Serbia are the 4 countries now set to start policy dialogues in 2019 with the goal of reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at national levels. Experts working on AMR and evidence-informed policy in these 4 countries recently attended a workshop where they learned how to develop evidence briefs for AMR policy. This workshop was jointly organized by the Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe operating under the umbrella of the WHO European Health Information Initiative (Division of Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation) and WHO/Europe’s Control of Antimicrobial Resistance Programme, Division of Health Emergencies and Communicable Diseases.
106th Global Health Histories seminar: Vaccine hesitancy – why do some people not vaccinate? 23-07-2018
Despite the real and tangible benefits of immunization for both health and sustainable development, many parents and health-care providers across the WHO European Region avoid vaccinating their children and patients. Vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to the health and well-being of Europeans, and reasons for hesitancy vary considerably across Member States.
Empowerment through understanding: helping policy-makers improve health literacy across all societal levels 11-07-2018
Health literacy is the capacity of individuals, families and communities to make sound health decisions in the context of everyday life. It is a critical competence for increasing people’s control over their health, empowering and enabling them to seek out health information and express themselves on health issues. Health literacy is also a key element for the achievement of Health 2020, the European health policy framework, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
New memorandum of understanding between WHO and IHME brings better data and evidence for more informed decision-making for health 03-07-2018
At the Seventy-first World Health Assembly in May 2018, WHO and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) and agreed to strengthen collaboration on the global burden of disease (GBD) and enhance policy use of GBD findings.
HEN report describes effective services to prevent, diagnose and treat TB among refugees and migrants 18-06-2018
A new Health Evidence Network (HEN) report examines evidence of effective and efficient service packages for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) among refugees and migrants in the WHO European Region. This latest HEN report (#56), commissioned to inform related policies and strategies in the Region, was jointly developed by the Division of Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation, the Division of Policy and Governance for Health and Well-being and the Division of Communicable Diseases, Health Security and Environment.
105th Global Health Histories seminar: If medicine is art, can art be medicine? 16-06-2018
A growing evidence base shows that there are real, physiological benefits to cultural participation. Singing in a choir, for example, can improve health outcomes for people with chronic lung diseases. Participating in art therapy, experts are saying, can reduce trauma for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Governments across Europe and the world are realizing that there are untapped, low-risk and often highly cost-effective health and well-being benefits to cultural participation.
Advanced course on health information and evidence for policy-making 30-05-2018
The Advanced course on health information is a regular follow-up to the Autumn School, and provides more in-depth training on the subjects of the Autumn School. This year’s course will take place in Bohinj, Slovenia.
New Action Network strengthens health literacy measurement in Europe 30-04-2018
The Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy (M-POHL Network) was established under the umbrella of the WHO European Health Information Initiative (EHII) and aligned with Health 2020, the European policy framework for health and well-being. The Network aims to institutionalize a regular internationally comparative European health literacy survey of high quality and support the collection of data on organizational health literacy as prerequisites for evidence-based policy and practice on health literacy.
Analysis on evidence-informed health policy-making prompts action in Slovenia 23-04-2018
A newly released analysis on evidence-informed policy-making (EIP) in Slovenia has already prompted several actions that will help promote the institutionalization of evidence-informed health policy and knowledge translation activities in Slovenia. The situation analysis was conducted with the support of the WHO Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe operating under the auspices of the WHO European Health Information Initiative (EHII).
European Health Information Initiative: celebrating growing commitment to the use of health information and research in health policy-making 04-04-2018
The tenth meeting of the Steering Group of the WHO European Health Information Initiative (EHII), held on 19–20 March 2018, celebrated the increasing commitment of WHO European Member States to the use of health information and research in policy-making.
New HEN report emphasizes importance of indicators for assessing health system performance 28-03-2018
A new Health Evidence Network (HEN) report was recently published to support decision-making for improved health system performance assessment (HSPA) in the WHO European Region. The report, entitled “Health system performance assessment in the WHO European Region: which domains and indicators have been used by Member States for its measurement?”, summarizes HSPA domains and indicators used by 30 Member States in their HSPA or health system-related reports. It serves as a tool for supporting WHO’s commitment to strengthening the foundations for evidence-informed policies aimed at health system development.
Assessment confirms success of the Advanced Course on health information and evidence for policy-making 26-01-2018
An analysis and report on the participant response to the Advanced Course on health information and evidence for policy-making held on 27 June–1 July 2017 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirms the success of the course and provides valuable insight into opportunities to improve the course in the future.
Turning the tide on obesity and unhealthy diets in the WHO European Region – new publication presents novel insights and effective solutions 10-01-2018
Public Health Panorama, WHO/Europe’s public health journal, has dedicated its latest issue to obesity and unhealthy diets in the Region. With unhealthy diets now responsible for 1 in 5 deaths globally, and with the Region at the midway point of implementing the European Food and Nutrition Action Plan 2015–2020, this special issue is a timely source of lessons learned and new research on the subject.
New profile of health and well-being in Bulgaria shows significant progress 22-12-2017
WHO/Europe launched the fifth in a series of publications providing in-depth analyses of health situations in Member States. The report focuses on Bulgaria, and reveals a health situation that has improved significantly in the last decade but still faces considerable challenges.
Sofia Declaration: renewed commitment to the use of evidence, information and research in policy-making 21-12-2017
The Sofia Declaration has reaffirmed commitment to the Action plan to strengthen the use of evidence, information and research for policy-making in the WHO European Region (resolution EUR/RC66/R12). Adopted during a meeting on 15–17 November 2017 in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Declaration requests WHO/Europe to support Member States in strengthening research systems and strategies for health to enhance the use of evidence from national health research to inform health policies.
Latest HEN report provides support for the use of health information for policy-making 20-12-2017
A new Health Evidence Network (HEN) report describes the tools and mechanisms to enhance the use of evidence for policy-making. The significance of the report is 2-fold: it contributes to the literature on the use of health information for decision-making, which is still scarce; and it addresses the fact that while high-quality research, evidence and health information are key to good decision-making, their availability does not inherently lead to increased use by health policy-makers.
Multicountry meeting produces drafts for evidence-informed policy on AMR 06-12-2017
Representatives from 6 countries – Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – met in Budapest, Hungary on 30–31 October 2017, to produce a set of draft evidence briefs for policies addressing issues of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) faced by their countries.
New HEN report reveals gaps in protection of refugees and migrants from vaccine-preventable diseases 21-11-2017
Refugees and migrants should be vaccinated without unnecessary delay according to the immunization schedules of their host countries. This is the guidance provided by a joint recommendation of WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Autumn School brings health information and evidence for policy into sharp focus 31-10-2017
Enhanced European Health Information Gateway launched 30-10-2017
The European Health Information Gateway has been revamped to include new functionalities and enhanced presentation of diverse health information.
Georgia achieves significant health improvements but still faces considerable challenges 26-10-2017
The fourth in a series of publications providing in-depth analysis of health status in Member States was launched on 26 October 2017. The report, focusing on Georgia, reveals a health situation that has improved significantly in the last decade but still presents considerable challenges.
Autumn School on Health Information and Evidence for Policy-making, 23–27 October 2017, Tbilisi, Georgia 25-09-2017
23–27 October 2017, Tbilisi, Georgia
WHO receives British Medical Association (BMA) Medical Book Awards 21-09-2017
The Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report published last year, entitled “Cultural contexts of health: the use of narrative research in the health sector”, received the 2017 BMA Medical Book Awards’ “Highly commended” recognition in the public health category.
Day 4 highlights: partnerships essential in our “multisectoral, multidimensional world” 14-09-2017
Member States enthusiastically endorsed a renewed vision for partnerships for health in the WHO European Region on the final day of the 67th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.
Report shows progress towards Health 2020 targets 24-08-2017
A new report shows an overall improvement in the implementation of Health 2020 values and principles in the countries of the WHO European Region. Between 2010 and 2016, the share of responding countries that had policies addressing inequalities increased from 88% to 98%. Those that aligned national policies with Health 2020 also increased during this period, from 58% to 92%.
Advanced course drills deeper into using health information for policy 28-07-2017
Some 30 participants gathered in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the annual Advanced Course on Health Information and Evidence for Policy-making. The Advanced Course is a regular follow-up to the Autumn School, WHO/Europe’s flagship training course on health information and a significant capacity-building activity of the WHO European Health Information Initiative (EHII).
Specialists from Tiraspol improve skills in managing health information and reporting causes of death 06-06-2017
Mortality data from civil registration and vital statistics systems are a primary source of information for identifying and monitoring diseases in populations, as well as other public health problems. On 16–18 May 2017, 27 health information specialists from the left bank of the Nistru River attended a training course in Tiraspol related to the reporting, analysis and quality assurance of causes of death. They included deputy heads of local health care institutions and statisticians.
Workshop on assessing health information systems (HIS) and strengthening national HIS strategies in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 06-06-2017
Health information is essential for tracking the health situation in any country, and for understanding whether policies have a desired impact. The national HIS is the source of such information. Together with the Ministry of Health of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, WHO delivered a workshop on assessing the national HIS and using this knowledge to plan strategic actions for strengthening it.
eHealth and public health – a beautiful marriage 19-05-2017
Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, delivered an inspirational speech to open eHealth Week in Malta on 10–12 May 2017. This marked the first time that WHO/Europe participated in organizing the annual event. It did so alongside the Maltese Ministry for Health, the European Commission and HIMSS-CHIME International, a partnership of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the College of Health Information Management Executives.
Reducing the SDG reporting burden: WHO/Europe’s initiative presented at the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development 09-05-2017
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underscores the importance of “quality, accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data … to help with the measurement of progress and to ensure that no one is left behind” (Paragraph 48). Improving the collection, coordination, analysis and dissemination of data and building statistical capacities for monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remain significant challenges for all countries in the WHO European Region and beyond.
Progress towards harmonization of health indicators 08-05-2017
The 17th meeting of the European Health Information Initiative (EHII) Steering Group took place at UN City Copenhagen on 21–22 March 2017. The initiative now has 33 participants, including representatives of Member States as well as international organizations such as the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Public Health Association (EUPHA).
Seminar boosts health information in Russian Federation 11-04-2017
A workshop on using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) was held in Moscow, Russian Federation, bringing together 20 participants from the Ministry of Health, WHO collaborating centres, medical universities, scientific research centres and regional health information and analysis centres.
New report offers in-depth analysis of health situation in Republic of Moldova 27-03-2017
WHO/Europe has launched the third in a series of publications providing in-depth analyses of health situations in Member States. Focused on the Republic of Moldova, the report reveals a health situation that has improved significantly in the last decade but still faces considerable challenges.
What is a migrant? How definitions affect access to health care 02-03-2017
Migrant, immigrant, refugee, asylum seeker – these terms are often used interchangeably in popular parlance, as if the specific term makes no difference. Yet for the individual, the label assigned to them can be life-changing.
Cultural contexts of health project expands with grant to build better evidence base for Health 2020 17-02-2017
Migration-themed edition of Public Health Panorama out now 01-02-2017
The latest Public Health Panorama takes an in-depth look at migration and health, from the challenges to the solutions. Volume 2 Issue 4 kicks off with an editorial from WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, telling the story of her visit to Trapani in Italy, a harbour city on the frontline of the migration crisis. Dr Jakab comments that much has been learned about how to respond to the health needs of migrating people and it is being implemented, as the Trapani example shows. She refers to this issue of Panorama as “especially timely”, as it arrives at just the right moment to spread best practice and knowledge throughout the Region.
WHO/Europe joins eHealth Week 2017 06-01-2017
For the first time, WHO/Europe is joining the team creating the programme for eHealth week, which will be held in Malta on 10–12 May 2017. The Maltese Ministry for Health is organizing the event as part of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, together with the European Commission and HIMSS–CHIME International, a partnership of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the College of Health Information Management Executives. The theme for 2017 – “Data for health: the key to personalized sustainable care” – will highlight the impact that data has on patients’ health.
Health information systems in focus in the Czech Republic 20-12-2016
How to better analyse and use health information and technology for planning and political decision-making in the health system was the focus of a recent meeting between Dr Claudia Stein, Director of the Division of Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and representatives of the Czech Republic’s Ministry of Health and Institute of Health Information and Statistics (ÚZIS) on 29–30 November 2016.
Day 2: new European platform for partnerships across sectors, United Nations agencies and civil society 13-12-2016
The second day of the high-level conference Working together for better health and well-being focused on how to implement intersectoral and cross-governmental policies. A common observation among delegates was the need to identify and communicate co-benefits for sectors other than health in order to generate effective, sustainable partnerships. They agreed to establish a new platform to improve and implement collaboration.
Estonia tackles obesity with tax on sugar-sweetened beverages 09-12-2016
Estonia has unveiled plans to tackle obesity by reducing sugar consumption, starting with a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages that is set to come into force in 2018. The initiative is expected to raise 24 million euros in revenue each year, which is predicted to lead to lower intakes of free sugar and energy and in turn contribute to improvements in obesity and dental health.
Communicating health and the Sustainable Development Goals: experiences from small countries of the WHO European Region 01-11-2016
One of the 4 key action areas of WHO/Europe’s small countries initiative is to support the implementation of Health 2020 by better engaging the media as a partner. Collaborating with the media to raise awareness of health issues, goals and targets is also critical to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for the involvement of civil society, the private sector and individuals from every country in order to hold governments accountable and ensure progress.
Call for papers - Public Health Panorama - September 2017 special issue “Towards a sustainable health workforce” 20-10-2016
Public Health Panorama calls for the submission of papers for a special issue on "Towards a sustainable health workforce". This issue will be published in September 2017 in conjunction with the agenda item entitled “Towards a sustainable health workforce in the WHO European Region: a framework for action”, which will be considered at the 67th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.
World Statistics Day 2016 – be a data explorer 20-10-2016
Good data and statistics are indispensable for informed decision-making by people and policy-makers. On World Statistics Day 2016, WHO/Europe experts share statistics that drive their work, and they encourage everyone to become a data explorer by visiting the European Health Information Gateway.
Official ministerial visit from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Regional Office 11-10-2016
A ministerial delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina visited the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe on 5–6 October 2016 to discuss future collaboration.
New collaborating centre on cultural contexts of health at the University of Exeter 30-09-2016
Data and statistics have long been recognized as integral to making informed and evidence-based policy decisions about public health. But increasingly – and particularly since the adoption of the Health 2020 policy framework – greater emphasis has been placed on examining how cultural factors affect health and well-being. For example, how might religion or other cultural practices influence nutrition in a given community? How do local customs or values affect the health response during an outbreak? Investigating the cultural contexts of health is an important step towards understanding people’s experiences and lifestyle choices; such investigation may ultimately lead to better public health across the WHO European Region.
What is the burden of disease in the Region? 20-09-2016
For the first time, the WHO European Region will have a network devoted to building capacity and exchanging findings regarding the burden of disease. The network, consisting currently of representatives from 10 Member States in the Region, will have their first meeting in London on 21–22 September 2016.
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.
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.
Health Evidence Network synthesis reports now discoverable via PubMed 24-08-2016
The five Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis reports published last year – on subjects including health information systems, migrant health, and cancer and cardiovascular disease – are now indexed in the United States’ National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Bookshelf, which houses a number of authoritative scientific and medical resources. These reports are now discoverable via PubMed, a free search engine that primarily accesses the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts. Stakeholders have also signed an agreement to include future HEN reports in Bookshelf.
EVIPNet Europe multicountry meeting brings rich exchange of real-life practices 20-07-2016
The 4th Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) mulitcountry meeting was opened by the Minister of Health of the Republic of Moldova, Ruxanda Glavan, in Chisinau on 15–16 June 2016.
Small Countries Health Information Network Report 19-07-2016
A report on the first meeting of focal points of the Small Countries Health Information Network (SCHIN) has been published setting out priorities, a joint action plan and the roles and responsibilities of all SCHIN partners. SCHIN's aim is to bring together small countries to exchange experiences and address shared health information challenges.
Slovenia’s substantial and sustained health gains revealed in new reports 16-06-2016
2 new reports reveal that Slovenia has made substantial and sustained gains in health that compare well with the EU15 countries and the wider European Region.
National eHealth Strategy for Ukraine 10-06-2016
Ukraine has taken its first steps towards developing national eHealth strategy. With the support of WHO/Europe, the World Bank and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), a workshop was held in Hlibovka in April 2016 to lay the foundations for developing the eHealth strategy.
Can a mobile phone help you stop smoking? 03-06-2016
Tara Duthie, who lives in the city of Stirling in Scotland, United Kingdom, tried to quit smoking four times in 5 years. Then, on 30 October 2015, aged just 49, she had a heart attack – it was a wake-up call she could not ignore.
South-eastern Europe Health Network shines spotlight on health information 31-05-2016
South-eastern European countries are supporting each other to strengthen the evidence that underpins policy. The countries of the South-eastern Europe Health Network met in Tirana, Albania on 16–17 November 2015 to discuss improving information for policy, and the report of the meeting has just been published. The report covers discussion of the countries' common issues in health information and the development of a joint vision on how to address these concerns.
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.
Country-by-country profiles on national health situation relaunched 06-05-2016
The first in a series of publications providing in-depth analyses of the health situation in Member States has been launched, focusing in its first edition on Greece. Written in collaboration with ministries of health, the new series is based on Health 2020 indicators and provides insights into performance against Health 2020 targets and into implementation. Reports on Slovenia and the Republic of Moldova are forthcoming.
Cultural contexts of health project to work with UNESCO 27-04-2016
At the second expert advisory group meeting on the cultural contexts of health (CCH), WHO/Europe has begun a closer collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) Section for Intangible Cultural Heritage, in order to explore how health policy can benefit from a wide array of multidisciplinary research to promote a deeper understanding of the cultural contexts and experiences of health.
Health information at your fingertips 15-04-2016
The brand new WHO European Health Information Gateway is now available to the public, providing curated, reliable health data and information presented in formats that are easy to understand and compare and that are easy to extract.
European Health Information Initiative expands by 7 members at 4th Steering Group Meeting 12-04-2016
Georgia, Lithuania, Malta and Portugal are the latest Member States to be welcomed to the European Health Information Initiative (EHII) alongside new institutional members Public Health England, the European Public Health Association, and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, which is a WHO collaborating centre.
Small Countries Health Information Network meets for the first time 18-03-2016
The Maltese Ministry for Energy and Health hosted the first meeting of the focal points of the Small Countries Health Information Network (SCHIN) in Valetta on 3 and 4 March 2016.
E-health in practice 10-03-2016
From medical monitoring for nomadic reindeer herders, to education and training with multilingual, virtual, simulated patients, technology is increasingly being used to deliver and advance health services in the WHO European Region. A new report provides an overview of the developments and benefits of using e-health and includes 29 case examples from across the Region.
E-health – when, not if 10-03-2016
A new report on e-Health in the WHO European Region reveals that tangible progress has been made, with clear benefits for many countries. In most Member States, it has become commonplace for technology to be used to deliver health services and public health improvements, such as electronic health records.
Food marketing, children’s rights and Professor Cyrus Cooper on the life-course approach in the latest Public Health Panorama 28-01-2016
Addressing the challenge of protecting children from the harmful effects of food marketing and assessing children's rights in health care in Uzbekistan are just two of health issues covered in the latest edition of Public Health Panorama (Volume 1, issue 3), now published.
WHO provides high-capacity storage equipment to Kyrgyzstan 21-12-2015
WHO has provided high-capacity equipment to the Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan to help the government develop its health information system in line with the recently adopted national eHealth strategy.
Will there be sufficient health professionals to meet future needs? 18-12-2015
The number of physicians and nurses in the Region may not be sufficient to cover the future health needs of an ageing population, despite an increase of around 10% in the past 10 years. This is one of the key findings in this year's report on core health indicators in the WHO European Region.
European health report available in French, German and Russian 16-12-2015
The 2015 European health report is now available for download and the ordering of printed copies in French, German and Russian. The report was released in English in September 2015 with intense media coverage.
Autumn School helps Member States make Health 2020 reality 04-12-2015
Some 30 participants gathered in Moscow, Russian Federation, for the third annual Autumn School on health information and evidence for policy making. The Autumn School, the flagship training course of the WHO Regional Office for Europe on health information and part of the WHO European Health Information Initiative, helps countries to focus on health information as part of the implementation of Health 2020.
Europeans are living longer, but can it last? European health report 2015 23-09-2015
The latest European health report shows a Europe that has achieved striking successes and is on track to hit several targets, such as reducing premature mortality and setting further national targets for health. The report, which is the WHO Regional Office for Europe's analytical account of the health of the European Region and its progress towards the targets set by Health 2020, WHO's overarching health policy, also reveals a need to find and examine new kinds of evidence to understand the complex relationship between health, well-being and culture.
European health report 2015 published 23-09-2015
This flagship report shows that Europeans are living longer, but high levels of tobacco and alcohol consumption, combined with rising obesity, could mean that the life expectancy of future generations will fall. The report charts progress towards the targets set in Health 2020 and recommends that new kinds of evidence be examined to understand the complex relation between health, well-being and culture.
Day 3 highlights: adoption of strategy on physical activity and roadmap for tobacco control 16-09-2015
The strategy and the roadmap for the European Region, adopted by the 65th session of the Regional Committee (RC65), will contribute to achieving the global goal of a 25% reduction in premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by 2025.
Day 2 highlights: focus continues on intersectoral action 15-09-2015
Panel discussions on the second day of the 65th session of the Regional Committee (RC65) focused on the need to work across sectors to address the health challenges of today's interconnected world. The WHO Director-General called on Member States to pay particular attention to how corporate interests influence health policy-making, asking, "Who really governs the policies that shape our health?"
Exploring the cultural contexts of health and well-being 28-08-2015
How does culture affect perceptions, access and experiences of health and well-being? With implementation of Health 2020, more emphasis is being placed on the well-being of European populations. WHO/Europe is leading a project on the cultural contexts of health, guided by a group of experts from the humanities, social sciences and public health.
Advanced Health Information Workshop in the Russian Federation 13-08-2015
The Advanced Health Information Workshop took place on 29 June–3 July 2015 in UN House, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Assess your health information systems and strengthen your strategies with new support tool 30-06-2015
Good health information makes a solid foundation for public health policy-making. In December 2013 WHO/Europe was requested by the Standing Committee of the Regional Committee, to help Member States to improve their national health information systems by developing strategies for national health information. This will make it easier to identify areas where action is required to address priorities for Health 2020, the overarching European policy framework.
Public Health Panorama – the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s new bilingual public health journal 30-06-2015
The WHO Regional Office for Europe has published the first issue of its new quarterly journal of public health. Public Health Panorama features good practice in policy and research in public health from across the European Region; it is published online and in print in both English and Russian.
HINARI and Evidence-Informed Policy Network introduced in Armenia 10-06-2015
On 27–30 April 2015, the second joint HINARI-Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe workshop was conducted in Yerevan, Armenia.
CARINFONET sets standard for subregional health information networks 10-06-2015
A detailed workplan for the coming years, an initial draft set of common indicators for reporting at sub-national level and a decision to establish an indicator working group were 3 welcome developments from the latest meeting of the CARINFONET (Central Asian Republics Information Network) Steering Group.
First meeting of the European Health Information Initiative: working together to improve information for better health 20-04-2015
Representatives from seven Member States (Austria, Finland, Latvia, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Sweden and Turkey) joined colleagues from WHO collaborating centres, the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and The Wellcome Trust at WHO/Europe on 24–25 March 2015.
Request for proposals: requirement analysis, architecture planning and prototype development of WHO/Europe’s information and evidence data warehouse 20-04-2015
The purpose of this request for proposals is to enter into a contractual agreement with a successful bidder and to select a suitable contractor to carry out the following work: requirement analysis, architecture planning and prototype development of WHO/Europe's information and evidence data warehouse.
Call for papers on intersectoral action for Public Health Panorama 14-04-2015
Public Health Panorama is the new public health journal to be launched in spring 2015. The WHO Regional Office for Europe plans to publish a themed issue on intersectoral action in the European Region and invites papers for this special issue. Authors may submit papers on scientific research or practice-oriented case studies; manuscripts can be submitted in either Russian or English.
Request for proposals: finalization of software development for WHO/Europe’s health information and evidence portal, version 1 08-04-2015
The purpose of this request for proposals is to enter into a contractual agreement with a successful bidder and to select a suitable contractor to carry out the following work, the finalization of software development for WHO/Europe's health information and evidence portal, version 1.
New synthesis report on promoting better integration of health information systems – best practices and challenges 26-02-2015
The Health Evidence Network (HEN), with the support of the European Union (EU), has recently published a synthesis report titled Promoting better integration of health information systems – best practices and challenges.
Autumn School brings health information and evidence for policy into sharp focus 19-11-2014
The 30 participants from 14 Member States gave overwhelmingly positive feedback about the five day Autumn School which was hosted by Poland’s Ministry of Health. Participants all work at the interface of data analysis, research/knowledge integration and policy and were able to get practical insights and solutions for improving national health information systems. Such was their enthusiasm that participants prepared an impromptu written petition to the Regional Director requesting an expansion of this course for future years.
New Minister of Health of Lithuania visits WHO/Europe 10-11-2014
Ms Rimantė Šalaševičiūtė visited WHO/Europe for the first time on 6 November 2014 to meet with Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, and other staff to discuss continued collaboration in 2014–2017 and a number of key issues
EVIPNet Europe train-the-trainers workshop 29-10-2014
From 14 to 17 October 2014, a year after its pilot launch, the Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe, held its second multi-country meeting; a train-the-trainers (TTT) workshop on using research evidence for policy-making (EIP) in Bled, Slovenia. EVIPNet Europe builds country capacity to develop evidence-informed policies on health systems, and support the implementation of WHO’s European policy framework Health 2020.
Central Asian countries launch unique health information network 09-07-2014
More than 30 delegates, representing the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, national and international partner organizations, WHO staff and external experts, gathered on 3-4 July 2014 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Together they have established the new Central Asian Republics Information Network (CARINFONET), supported by WHO/Europe, which will be ready for rollout in 2015.
Update of WHO Europe statistical databases 25-04-2014
The European Health for All Database (HFA-DB) was updated in April 2014. With over 600 indicators, HFA-DB provides fast and easy access, in graphical and tabular form, to a wide range of basic health statistics on the 53 countries of the WHO European Region.
EVIPNet multi-country workshop on using research evidence for policy-making 22-10-2013
On 9-11 October 2013, WHO/Europe, through its Division of Health Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation and its Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet), brought together stakeholders involved in translating data and research evidence into policy from 15 Member States.
Consultation on health research and development demonstration projects – now live 26-09-2013
WHO/Europe invites submissions on possible demonstration projects on health research and development. In 2010, the World Health Assembly established the Consultative Expert Working Group (CEWG), in response to concerns that insufficient resources were being devoted to target diseases that disproportionately affect people in developing countries.
Core Health Indicators in the WHO European Region 2013. Special focus: Noncommunicable diseases 07-09-2013
The indicators on NCDs and their risk factors that are included in this succinct indicator list show the diversity and magnitude of the challenges for public health in Europe, as well as some positive trends in mortality.
New database on health care resources 05-09-2013
How many dentists are practising in the WHO European Region? What is the availability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) units across Europe? The new European database on human and technical resources for health (HlthRes-DB) contains data for nearly 200 indicators for non-monetary health care resources, collected jointly by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and WHO/Europe.
Identifying targets and indicators for monitoring Health 2020: results of regional consultation published 03-09-2013
A new WHO/Europe report, “Regional consultation on targets and indicators for Health 2020 monitoring: report of results”, outlines the work done by WHO-convened groups of technical experts to develop core and additional sets of indicators to measure progress in reaching the six Health 2020 targets.
Uzbekistan strengthens collaboration in improving women’s and children’s health through COIA activities 27-08-2013
The implementation of the UN Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health approved in 2010 is halfway. More and more focus countries are accelerating implementation of actions in achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.
World Health Assembly, days 5–7: International Health Regulations and research and development for health on agenda 28-05-2013
The International Health Regulations and research and development for health were in focus at the World Health Assembly on 24–26 May 2013. Resolutions on the global mental health action plan and on disability were also adopted.
Greater focus needed on research on disease prevention 10-05-2013
This was the recommendation of the European Advisory Committee on Health Research (EACHR), meeting on 2–3 May.
How good is our information on health and well-being? 08-03-2013
Expertise in health information is fragmented and not shared sufficiently across Europe. A new online portal is one feature of an innovative collaboration between the Netherlands and WHO/Europe to collect and spread knowledge on health data, information, evidence and best practices.
New WHO report reveals unequal improvements in health in Europe and calls for measurement of well-being as marker of progress 07-03-2013
New WHO report reveals unequal improvements in health in Europe and calls for measurement of well-being as marker of progress
Joint meeting of experts on targets and indicators for health and well-being in Health 2020 07-02-2013
The WHO Regional Office for Europe convened a joint meeting of experts on targets and indicators for health and well-being in Health 2020 to advise on the measurement framework and indicators for the targets already set for Health 2020 (including the one on well-being), and to determine the support needed by countries in the use of such a framework and for further development.
Rapid assessment tool (Russian) 07-01-2013
WHO/Europe, 2012: Improving the quality and use of birth, death and cause-of-death information. Guidance for a standards-based review of country practices.
WHO/Europe launches new online laboratory reporting system 09-03-2011
WHO/Europe has just launched its new online laboratory data management system (LDMS), an important reporting tool for the regional poliomyelitis (polio) laboratory network.