WHO/Europe | News feed

Measles continues to spread and take lives in Europe

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 09:57:44 +0200

Ongoing measles outbreaks in the WHO European Region have caused 35 deaths in the past 12 months. “Every death or disability caused by this vaccine-preventable disease is an unacceptable tragedy,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

Collaboration among immunization programmes aims to bring Europe closer to stopping HPV

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 11:59:47 +0200

Health authorities from 7 Member States came together for an informal technical consultation on human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization on 27 June 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. WHO/Europe organized the meeting to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience among HPV immunization programmes.

Minister of Health of Lithuania visits WHO/Europe to discuss key priorities and collaboration

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 11:33:31 +0200

On 6 July 2017, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab welcomed Minister of Health of Lithuania Professor Aurelijus Veryga for an official visit to WHO/Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark. The visit provided an opportunity for Dr Jakab and Professor Veryga to discuss ways in which WHO/Europe can work with, in and for Lithuania in order to strengthen collaboration and implement the biennial collaborative agreement for 2016–2017.

Minister of Health of Lithuania visits WHO/Europe to discuss key priorities and collaboration

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 11:32:54 +0200

Together for a healthier world: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at European Development Days

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 12:18:17 +0200

During European Development Days (EDD) on 7–8 June 2017 in Brussels, Belgium, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, then WHO Director-General elect, addressed the international development community. He reminded them that health is a fundamental human right and central to development, both globally and within the European Union (EU).

Together for a healthier world: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at European Development Days

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 12:12:58 +0200

As refugee and migrant arrivals steadily increase, WHO invests in Europe’s public health response

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 10:00:03 +0200

The first WHO Summer School on Refugee and Migrant Health will take place on 10–14 July in Syracuse, Italy, with the theme “Managing the public health aspects of migration”. Over 1.3 million people have arrived to Europe by the Mediterranean Sea since 2015, and almost 3 million Syrian refugees are now living in Turkey. The course will proactively address the public health response to this phenomenon, and stimulate expert-driven knowledge transfer, intercountry collaboration and capacity-building within countries.

New path for health and human rights opens in Andorra

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 10:32:59 +0200

Andorra inaugurated a 30-kilometre walking trail that spans the length of the country to promote physical activity in an innovative and inclusive way. Every kilometre along the path is marked by a sign representing one of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Dr Tedros takes office as WHO Director-General

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 14:20:47 +0200

On 1 July Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took office as Director-General of the World Health Organization, succeeding Dr Margaret Chan, who has held office since 1 January 2007.The Director-General is WHO's chief technical and administrative officer and oversees the policy for the Organization's international health work.

Countries mark World No Tobacco Day with outreach to all levels of society and across sectors

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 14:39:37 +0200

On World No Tobacco Day, marked on 31 May 2017, WHO called on countries to prioritize and accelerate tobacco control efforts as part of their responses to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Under the slogan “Tobacco threatens us all”, countries across the WHO European Region planned and took part in activities highlighting the social and economic costs of tobacco use. They emphasized that all countries can benefit from implementing strong tobacco control measures in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Exploring synergies between health, climate change mitigation and nature conservation

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 10:23:23 +0200

Green infrastructure can function as a climate change adaptation measure that also promotes health and well-being. This is the message and opportunity being discussed at the 2017 European Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change, taking place on 27–29 June 2017 in Bonn, Germany. This year’s theme is “Biodiversity and health in the face of climate change”.

Europe’s small countries commit to ending childhood obesity

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 13:15:03 +0200

Ministers of health from the 8 small states of the European Region – countries with a population of less than 1 million – have signed the Malta Statement on Ending Childhood Obesity. These countries have some of the highest rates of childhood and adolescent obesity in the Region.

New WHO report provides blueprint for delivering people-centred care for tuberculosis

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 14:33:59 +0200

WHO/Europe, in collaboration with partners, has developed a blueprint for a people-centred model of tuberculosis (TB) care that shifts care closer to people and communities. The proposed model aims to transform the delivery of often-outdated TB services to enhance user-friendliness.

Parliament in Estonia approves legislation taxing soft drinks

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:17:03 +0200

The Estonian Parliament has approved legislation taxing soft drinks to reduce sugar consumption, improve health and raise revenue. This initiative is based on the strong and growing international evidence that this measure is effective in settings where soft drink consumption is a significant contributor to sugar and energy intake. The decision was also informed by the joint work of WHO/Europe and the Ministry of Social Affairs to review the evidence and model policy options within the Estonian context.

New WHO advisory group launched in Almaty to shape the future of primary health care

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:19:10 +0200

Experts convened in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 20–21 June 2017 for the inaugural meeting of the Primary Health Care Advisory Group. The WHO Regional Director for Europe launched the Advisory Group to advance primary health care in the WHO European Region.

World Refugee Day: WHO training enables Syrian doctors and nurses to provide health care in Turkey

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 13:21:54 +0200

“We and the Turkish doctors are working like brothers and sisters.” Muhammed Hattab, a Syrian doctor, provides health care to refugees in Turkey thanks to a training programme organized by WHO and the Turkish Ministry of Health with financial support from ECHO. 20 June is World Refugee Day.

European countries promote #SlowDown campaign for UN Global Road Safety Week

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 13:19:03 +0200

The Save Lives: #SlowDown campaign was launched during the Fourth UN Global Road Safety Week, 8–14 May 2017, to raise awareness, generate action on measures to address speed and improve safety for road users.

Day 3 of Environment and Health Conference: Commitments to advance the agenda in Europe

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 12:17:52 +0200

After 3 days of discussions and deliberations, the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health drew to a close. The participants took stock of the progress made on environment and health in the WHO European Region, as well as committing the Region to further action, culminating in the signing of the Ostrava Declaration.

Day 2 of Environment and Health Conference: Addressing inequalities, good governance, rights and resilience

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:50:56 +0200

On the second day of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, participants explored the role of communities and national and regional authorities in strengthening resilience. Discussions focused on the global relevance of environment and health policy in Europe and how to stimulate changing patterns of consumption towards sustainable development.

Day 1 of Environment and Health Conference: Taking stock of the past to transform the future

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 13:46:40 +0200

Opening the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, drew parallels between the host city’s industrial past and modern regeneration, and the “transformative spirit of the Agenda for Sustainable Development”. Health and environment experts are gathered in Ostrava, Czech Republic to track progress and prioritize future action on environmental risks to health.

United Nations agencies urge Europe’s action on 1.4 million annual deaths from polluted environments

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:00:02 +0200

The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) call on European leaders to scale up action to prevent environment-related deaths and diseases affecting their populations. Each year, at least 1.4 million Europeans die prematurely due to polluted environments; this corresponds to at least 15% of Europe’s total deaths. Around half of these deaths are due to outdoor and indoor air pollution. Altogether, European citizens lose annually 50 million years of healthy life from environmental risks.

WHO and health partners provide vital care to displaced people in northern Syria

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 10:12:48 +0200

Responding to evacuations and a growing number of displaced people in northern Syria, WHO and its health partners are providing life-saving medical care to thousands of families.

Measles continues to spread and take lives in Europe

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 10:12:06 +0200