WHO asks: Has the European Region kept its promise on health?

“Health Systems for Prosperity and Solidarity – leaving no one behind”
High-level regional meeting, 13–14 June 2018, Tallinn, Estonia

Media advisory

Copenhagen, 1 June 2018

Ten years ago in Tallinn, the Member States of the WHO European Region made commitments on health. Now, some 250 policy-makers and influencers from across the Region are revisiting the Tallinn Charter to look at progress, address lessons learned when actions did not match aspirations, and build on new opportunities.

Ms Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia, and Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, will open the meeting. Ministers of health from 14 Member States are expected to attend – Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine.

The economic climate has changed drastically since the signing of the Tallinn Charter in 2008. The Region was rocked by a financial crisis that starved the health sector of investment, particularly affecting spending on health promotion and disease prevention. All too often, the costs of health have been shifted to individuals and families.

This difficult environment has put some of the core values of European health systems at risk, such as solidarity, equity and participation. Dr Jakab will call for a reaffirmation of commitment to these values, reflected in the Tallinn Charter, for the future.

For more information, please visit our web site.

Journalists are invited to attend the event. All sessions will be open to the press. The provisional programme of the meeting is available online.

During the meeting, journalists will have the opportunity to meet and interview WHO experts and health policy-makers as they discuss progress and priorities in health systems strengthening in the Region.

The meeting will take place at Radisson Blu Sky Hotel (Rävala Puiestee 3, Tallinn 10143, Estonia).