Baku, September 10, AZERTAC

Ministers of health and representatives from 53 countries across the WHO European Region will meet virtually for the 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, on 13-15 September 2021, according to the official website of the organization.

The Regional Committee is WHO/Europe’s decision-making body and the gathering is the premier meeting on public health in the Region, convening health ministers once a year to discuss and endorse regional policies, activities and financial plans to improve people’s health and well-being.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge will be joined at this annual flagship event by other high-level participants and guests including, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; President of France Emmanuel Macron; HRH the Crown Princess of Denmark; President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov; Chief Medical Adviser to the United States President Dr Anthony Fauci; as well as representatives of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, civil society, bilateral and multilateral organizations and other development partners.

One year since the European Programme of Work 2020-2025 (EPW) - “United Action for Better Health in Europe” was endorsed by Member States, delegates will discuss progress on key health priorities where action is needed to meet the health needs and expectations of the Region’s 900 million plus citizens.

Specific issues for discussion and agreement are: lessons learned from COVID-19; scaling up COVID-19 vaccination campaigns; preparing for the next pandemic; reinventing primary health care; investing in mental health and social care; setting the immunization agenda for 2030; scaling up action on climate change and health; bolstering uptake of digital health; and sustainable financing of WHO.