Author: who.int

Date: 13:00-14:00 CEST (Geneva time), 31 May 2023, Wednesday Objective of this webinar: To provide an overview of key issues on emerging zoonotic diseases using the One Health approach, to hear from the One Health Quadripartite and partners on how One Health is being operationalized in their organizations/in the field, to increase awareness regarding the ways One Health approaches to epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response are being utilized in health emergencies, with practical examples of how One Health can improve preparedness and response to emerging zoonotic diseases.

Navigating education and employment with a disability is far from an easy task. Across all countries in the WHO European Region, various barriers stand in the way to disability-inclusive health systems and societies. Equally, we have a long way to go to empower, accommodate and promote people with lived experience of disability in the health workforce. “It’s kind of ironic,” says Hannah Daly, “that even though I have so-called invisible disabilities, I can’t really hide them.”

Expanding on the Director-General’s report to the World Health Assembly in May 2023, this paper provides a two-part summary of the initiatives that are now underway to strengthen the global HEPR architecture.

Building on the 2021 Health Data Governance Summit and summit statement, Health Data Collaborative (HDC) partners will co-host an event on 18 and 19 May 2023 to promote health data as a global good

Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have reached regional hepatitis B control targets set by the Action Plan for the Health Sector Response to Viral Hepatitis in the WHO European Region. This achievement was validated by the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts (ETAGE) based on an assessment of country reports and recommendations made by the ETAGE Working Group on Hepatitis B during its 5th Meeting on 17 March 2023. These countries join Georgia, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which were validated as reaching the targets for hepatitis B control in 2021 or 2022.

Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have reached regional hepatitis B control targets set by the Action Plan for the Health Sector Response to Viral Hepatitis in the WHO European Region. This achievement was validated by the European Technical Advisory Group of Experts (ETAGE) based on an assessment of country reports and recommendations made by the ETAGE Working Group on Hepatitis B during its 5th Meeting on 17 March 2023. These countries join Georgia, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which were validated as reaching the targets for hepatitis B control in 2021 or 2022.

More than 12 500 people living in Ukraine’s regained territories received medical care from WHO-supported national emergency medical teams (EMTs), data shows. Launched at the beginning of 2022, the EMT project assists civilians affected by the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. Without it, many of those living within the regained regions would not have access to critical care.The activity of the EMTs was highlighted at a workshop in Cherkasy to enhance the country’s emergency medical care and disaster medicine system. Representatives from WHO, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, and the Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine at both regional and national levels presented their achievements from 2022 and discussed strategy development and the challenges of running the system during the war.The First Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Serhiy Dubrov, noted, “As a result of coordination between the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization in Ukraine, 5 off-road vehicles, as well as medicines, have been donated to the emergency medical care system. Management of injured patients, mass casualty training, as well as chemical preparedness and response training were conducted for emergency health care workers. The work of disaster medicine teams in the regained territories continues, thanks to which more than 12 000 people received medical assistance in the first days after these territories were regained.”Strengthening emergency medical careAnother important aspect of the seminar was the discussion of medical evacuation for the injured, in-country and abroad. So far, almost 3000 people have received treatment abroad through the Ukrainian emergency system with the help of international partners.“The WHO remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine’s Ministry of Health in strengthening its emergency medical care and disaster medicine systems, through steadfast efforts to enhance the knowledge and proficiency of emergency medical and disaster medicine personnel by providing extensive training opportunities,” stated Guillaume Simonian, WHO Emergency and Programmes Lead, WHO Country Office in Ukraine. “Moreover, WHO provides systemic support and resources, such as transport ambulances, mobile intensive care unit ambulances, medical equipment and medicines.” Also, 5 cars – off-road vehicles with increased cross-country ability – were handed over by the WHO and 4 cars were donated from other international partners to the medical teams of Cherkasy region working in the regained areas. Projects were realized with financial support from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG, NEAR); the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO); USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA); and the Federal Ministry of Health, Germany.

This year, 7 April marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of WHO. In 1948, countries of the world came together to establish the United Nations specialized agency to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being.

Andreea Afumateanu is used to working in difficult and dangerous situations. As a captain in the United Nations Department of Peace Operations, she was involved in peacekeeping operations in South Sudan as well as India and Pakistan. But in her role as United Nations Health Coordinator/Hub Coordinator in Gaziantep, Türkiye, the epicentre of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on 6 February, the situation has felt quite different.

The WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens and the WHO Country Office in Albania have joined forces to support the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MoHSP) of Albania in improving quality of care and enhancing patient safety in the country.The WHO European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health” (EPW) sets out a vision of how WHO/Europe can work with health authorities in Member States to achieve better health for all in the Region. Inspired by the EPW, the Athens Office is committed to providing universal access to people-centred quality health services across the continuum of care.Albania’s health-care system places great emphasis on education and monitoring to ensure that health-care professionals and institutions deliver high-quality, safe services. Albania has made significant strides towards bolstering the quality of care available to its citizens by establishing the Agency of Health and Social Care Quality Assurance (ASCK), which operates under a long-term strategy aimed at providing exceptional health and social care services based on the highest standards.The visitOn 3–6 April 2023, a delegation of experts from the MoHSP and ASCK will be visiting Greece and collaborating with the WHO Athens Office, sharing knowledge and experience on innovations to enhance various aspects of quality of care and patient safety in Albania. To facilitate this, a comprehensive plan has been proposed for 2022–2023 for enhancing quality of care and patient safety in Albania, in alignment with the Albanian National Health Strategy for 2021–2030. The plan encompasses several workstreams, with a particular focus on strengthening the ASCK and improving patient safety.The primary objective of this mission is to introduce experts to the vision and strategy of the WHO Athens Office for enhancing the quality of care in the European Region. Additionally, the mission seeks to provide insights into the Greek context of quality of care and patient safety, which could be useful in developing innovative solutions to address Albania’s health-care challenges.Other specific objectives are as follows:to understand recent reforms in primary care in Greece, such as the establishment of the personal doctor;to enhance familiarity with the electronic prescribing system and the available protocols for prescribing medication;to better understand continuous medical and nursing education and the corresponding accreditation systems inGreece;to engage, co-create, prioritize and agree on the next steps and way forward.The visit programme features a high-level political meeting on 3 April at the Ministry of Health of Greece. Additionally, the delegation will visit health-care centres and hospitals in Athens throughout the week.