Media invitation

Health ministers and high-level policy-makers from 53 countries meet to shape Europe’s health agenda and set priorities for action

Journalists invited to cover the event

The WHO Regional Committee for Europe – the decision-making body of the WHO Regional Office for Europe – will meet in Budapest, Hungary, from 11 to 15 September 2017. More than 300 delegates from 53 WHO European Member States, including ministers of health and senior health policy-makers, as well as partner organizations and civil society will attend the meeting. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and the new WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, will address the Committee.

The delegates are expected to adopt a number of resolutions on important public health issues and on the technical and administrative work of the Regional Office. Among the key topics on this year’s agenda are:

• opportunities and challenges facing health in the 21st century;
• practical action towards building a fit-for-purpose health workforce;
• ways to improve access to medicines in WHO European Member States; and
• 10 years of implementing the International Health Regulations (2005) in the Region.

The 4-day programme also includes progress reports on the implementation of the European action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol 2012–2020, the European food and nutrition action plan 2015–2020 and the European mental health action plan.

The Regional Committee will take place at the Budapest Congress Center (Jagelló út 1–3, 1123 Budapest
Hungary).

Journalists who wish to cover the event are invited to register in advance by sending an email to negruL@who.int. Registered journalists are invited to attend the Regional Committee sessions, including plenaries and technical briefings. The provisional programme of the meeting is available on our web site.

The press programme will include an opening press conference on Thursday 7 September. The exact time and location of the press conference as well as a detailed press programme will be announced closer to the event.

During the meeting, journalists will have the opportunity to meet and interview WHO experts and policy-makers in the European health community as they discuss the Region’s health challenges. Journalists are invited to send their interview requests by email (see contacts below).

For more information about the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, please visit  the web site.