Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia hosts 2nd preparatory meeting for the 3rd Health Ministers' Forum of the South-eastern Europe Health Network

The 2nd preparatory meeting for the 3rd Health Ministers' Forum of the South-eastern Europe (SEE) Health Network was held in Bled, Slovenia, 14-15 April 2011. The objective of the preparatory meeting was to discuss professional issues and technical aspects relating to preparation for the upcoming Forum, which will also constitute an important milestone for the SEE Health Network, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. The meeting was attended by national political coordinators of the SEE Health Network and public-health experts from nine Member States, WHO representatives and experts as well as other partner organizations or interested organizations (the International Organization for Migration and the International Forum Gastein) and partner countries.

The objectives of the meeting were to review:

• the quantitative results from the SEE Health Network on-line survey for evaluation of 10 years of regional cooperation for public health;
• SEE country findings on the Health in All Policies current practices, capacities, challenges, needs and recommendations for improvements; and
• the NCD evaluation process.

The participants also established the drafting team for the report on “Evaluation of the political cooperation since Skopje 2005” and agreed the structure of the report. Budget and fund raising for the 3rd Health Ministers' Forum of the South-eastern Europe Health Network was agreed, and the calendar of the events leading to the Forum was confirmed.

The 3rd Health Ministers' Forum of the South-eastern Europe Health Network will be held 13-14 October 2011 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Forum’s main topic will be "Health in All Policies in South-eastern Europe: A shared goal and responsibility". Invitations to the Forum will be sent to the Ministers of Health of nine SEE Health Network Member States, high representatives of other SEE Health Network health-related sectors and the highest representatives of international partner organisations and partner states.  

The SEE Health Network has been internationally recognized for its achievements and constitutes an excellent example of constructive regional cooperation in specific health domains. Since 2001, regional cooperation within the SEE Health Network has enjoyed support from WHO/Europe and the Council of Europe, as well as partnerships with numerous partner countries. In addition, the SEE Health Network has recently been acknowledged by and given support from the European Commission, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (infectious diseases), the International Organization for Migration, the Regional Cooperation Council (successor to the Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe) and the Nordic Dimension Partnership in Public Health.

Since the very beginning, Slovenia, as a partner country and donor, has supported the activities of the SEE Health Network, which in the first decade of its existence managed to unite both political decision-makers and public-health professionals, with a view to agreeing on joint activities. Over the years, these have successfully given rise to long-term programmes of cooperation and so-called Regional Health Development Centres, covering particular public health domains.    

Slovenia as a partner country has been part of the process of public health cooperation in the region, and the activities of the SEE Health Network have made an important contribution to creating an extremely positive atmosphere, which is viewed as a precondition for good and friendly cooperation aimed at ensuring the well-being of citizens of member states in South-eastern Europe and elsewhere.