Country cooperation strategy signed with Portugal

The Ministry of Health of Portugal and WHO have signed a country cooperation strategy (CCS), setting the vision for creating synergy and alignment between WHO leadership priorities and Portuguese national health policies, strategies and plans for 2015–2020. The CCS is aligned with both Portugal’s national health plan and the WHO European policy framework Health 2020.

Signed on 15 September 2014 between Fernando Leal da Costa, Secretary of State and Assistant to the Minister of Health of Portugal; Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General; and Zsuzsanna Jakab,

WHO Regional Director for Europe; the CCS covers three strategic priorities for collaboration:

• strengthened cooperation on the national health system with emphasis on the national health plan for 2012–2016 and affordable access to medicines and health technology;
• exchange of information and expertise on noncommunicable diseases, nutrition and food policies, tobacco, mental health, substance use and the social determinants of health; and
• enhanced WHO–Portuguese collaboration in the areas of malaria and health workforce development.

The Secretary of State explained how the CCS would also strengthen relations with Africa and Portuguese-speaking countries worldwide on many health issues, including Ebola virus disease.

Portugal is the first European Union (EU) Member State to establish a CCS with WHO. The Regional Director wished to roll out such strategies to other EU Member States without WHO country offices.
Switzerland and the Russian Federation have also signed CCSs with WHO.