Second health ministers' forum, 2005

The Second Health Ministers’ Forum on “Health and economic development in south-eastern Europe in the twenty-first century”, held in Skopje on 25 and 26 November 2005, was attended by ministers of health and finance of the countries of south-eastern Europe (SEE), representatives of partner organizations and institutions, and partner states as well as over 100 other participants.

The Second Health Ministers’ Forum had three objectives:

• to consolidate the SEE Health Network alliance at regional level by increasing crossborder opportunities for local partners to work together to improve health and strengthen neighbourly bonds;
• to support the ministries of health in assuming ownership of the regional health projects and to assist them in inspiring and empowering health professionals to ensure sustainable long-term improvements in public health;
• to demonstrate the economic potential of health as a way of increasing productivity and decreasing public expenditure on illness: a healthy population works better and produces more.