WHO Regional Office for Europe

#AI is no longer a distant vision. It is transforming healthcare in the WHO European Region. In this article in The Lancet, WHO/Europe Director Hans Kluge, Director of Health Systems Natasha Azzopardi Muscat and Regional Adviser for Data, AI and Digital Health David Novillo Ortiz, PhD, share their perspective on the future of AI for health in our Region and what has to happen for this transformation to be fair, safe and reach those who need it most. Read the full piece here: https://bit.ly/48fYZ0c

Across Europe and Central Asia, the promise of a healthy start in life is still not a reality for every child and adolescent – which is exactly what our new joint WHO–UNICEF strategy is designed to change. In our joint commentary in The Lancet Group Regional Health – Europe, UNICEF Regional Director Regina De Dominicis and I outline how our new regional strategy can move us from words to concrete action for every child and adolescent. Read it here 👉 https://bit.ly/48wTFnT What sets this strategy apart is that it is co-created with youth and backed by measurable commitments and regional progress reviews, tackling today’s realities head-on - from digital and AI-driven risks to exploitative marketing and climate-related health threats. It is truly multisectoral, supporting health ministries to lead action across education, social protection, urban planning and more. I invite you to read the commentary, share it within your networks, and let us know your views. #HealthForAll

Dr Diana from Ukraine completed the medical courses provided by the @Institut postgraduálního vzdělávání ve zdravotnictví – IPVZ and passed the exams that allowed her to obtain her medical license to work in Czechia 🇨🇿 💙 She is among nearly 200 displaced health workers from Ukraine who continue to practice in their host countries through the joint project implemented by WHO/Europe, and IOM Europe and Central Asia and IOM Global Office Brussels, and funded by EU Health and Food Safety. Through this collaboration, doctors, nurses, and all other health workers receive support to: 🩺 prepare for national exams 📚 learn about their rights and entitlements 👩⚕️ access the training needed to continue their vital work in their host countries. When given the chance to continue their profession, they rebuild their careers, help strengthen local health systems, and keep saving lives with their expertise. Read the story here 👉bit.ly/48BcA16 Visit the project page for more information 👉 bit.ly/WHO-IOM-EU #EU4Health #HealthForAll

On Monday in Madrid, a new policy note on relational continuity in primary care was launched in an event co-hosted by the Ministry of Health, the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. The event brought together Autonomous Communities, Scientific Societies and patient organizations to discuss the implementation of the recommended policy actions. The note highlighted robust international evidence showing that strong relational continuity– stable, ongoing relationships between a patient and a primary care provider or team – improves health systems performance in multiple dimensions, including health outcomes, quality, efficiency, and equity. Relational continuity in primary care is associated with fewer emergency room visits, lower hospitalisation rates, better management of chronic diseases, lower mortality, and greater satisfaction among patients and professionals. Building on Spain’s priority to strengthen relational continuity in its National PHC Action Plan “Plan de Acción de Atención Primaria y Comunitaria”, the report proposes concrete policy actions to promote it in Spain and introduces a set of indicators to embed relational continuity as a core dimension of PHC performance. Autonomous Communities (regions) contributed throughout the development process through surveys and online technical workshops, shaping both the recommended actions and the indicator set to reflect the Spanish context. This joint work marked a milestone for PHC strengthening in Spain. #PHC #Spain #UHC4PHC

Digital tools and AI have the power to revolutionize health care and transform the #healthworkforce of the future. But they should be a means, and not an end in themselves. One thing is certain: AI is here to stay, and what it can do is help us focus on what matters most in health care; the compassionate, the ethical – the things that no algorithm can ever replicate. What do you think? We recently published a new regional report on AI in health care, you can find it here: https://bit.ly/4a6FuIy And we’ve been working on the #optimization of the health workforce, which also includes leveraging digital and AI tools. More here: https://bit.ly/42LhLsc

How does #mpox spread? It mainly spreads through skin-to-skin contact, particularly sex, with someone who has it. It can also spread through: 💋 mouth-to-mouth contact (kissing) 🗣️ close face-to-face contact (talking or breathing close) 🛏️ objects 🚪surfaces

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah CBE FBSA, Founder, Director and Trustee of the Ella Roberta Foundation, was an expert speaker today at the special consultation of the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health #PECCH on the voices and experiences of European cities and regions. The consultation brought together cities, regions and their networks from across the WHO European Region to gather local insights, priorities and practical experiences around climate and health.

📢 Can people afford to pay for health care in Greece? New analysis finds that out-of-pocket payments lead to catastrophic health spending for nearly 10% of households in Greece. The #WHOBarcelona report also shows that catastrophic health spending is consistently and increasingly heavily concentrated in the poorest households. 🗝️ Key findings: - Outpatient medicines and care drive catastrophic health spending in households with low incomes - Unmet need for health care, dental care and prescribed medicines is above the EU average - Gaps in all 3 dimensions of coverage policy (who is covered, what is covered and co-payments) exist - Low levels of public spending on health undermine progress towards universal health coverage ☂️ What can Greece do to reduce financial hardship? - Protect people from high co-payments for outpatient medicines and outpatient care - Improve prescribing and dispensing practices, increase use of generics and reduce medicine prices - Expand access to publicly financed dental care, particularly for children and people with low incomes - Monitor and continue to address long waiting times and informal payments - Find ways to ensure that all residents are entitled to the same set of health-care benefits - Strengthen the purchasing and governance of publicly financed health care. 📕 Read the web story: https://bit.ly/444UIdy Read the report: https://bit.ly/4ovlx1E 🌍 Find out how Greece compares to other countries on #UHCWatch, an online platform monitoring affordable access to health care in Europe and Central Asia ➡️ bit.ly/uhcwatch The report and UHC Watch benefited from financial assistance from the EU through the #EU4Healthprogramme

Across Europe, mild iodine deficiency is re-emerging, particularly among young women and pregnant women, for whom adequate iodine intake is essential for healthy development. On 3 December, WHO/Europe and the Iodine Global Network are convening public health authorities, researchers, industry partners, civil-society organizations and patient groups to explore practical, coordinated solutions to strengthen iodine nutrition across the Region. Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are entirely preventable. WHO/Europe and IGN report shows light on the causes, consequences and evidence-based actions needed to address this growing concern: https://bit.ly/4imCLwK Kiwanis International #IDD