WHO Regional Office for Europe

More than 61,000 people died from heat-related causes across 35 European countries in summer 2022 Together, we can address the climate crisis & its impact on our #health. Join us at the hearing on #ClimateChange & health this week. Sign up now: https://bit.ly/4fM9Nn7 📅 28 Feb 10:00 CET This is your opportunity to shape the future of #health in Europe and Central Asia. The hearing is part of a series to inform the development of the Second European Programme of Work (#EPW2) 2025–2030. Learn more about EPW2: https://bit.ly/3Wfszwt #UnitedActionForBetterHealth #ECEHBonn

No one knows your risk like you do. Caring for older relatives? They might experience severe influenza. COVID-19 taught us how to protect ourselves and others from respiratory diseases. Help them to schedule flu vaccination soon - #LikeOnlyYouCan

🔑 Unlocking Intersectoral Collaboration to Strengthen Health Security in Kosovo* Kosovo has made significant progress in enhancing health security through broad, multi-sectoral collaboration, facilitated by WHO. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed key areas for improvement, particularly in preventing and responding to health emergencies. The country completed its first-ever external health security assessment based on WHO’s Joint External Evaluation in 2023. One key recommendation was to develop a costed Action Plan for Health Security rooted in a One Health approach. This plan is now shaping a coordinated, cross-sectoral response to future health threats. 💡 Key milestones include: ✅ Joint risk assessments at points of entry and veterinary labs for stronger disease detection ✅ Policy dialogues on antimicrobial resistance linking human, animal, and environmental health ✅ Integration of health security measures into Kosovo’s Health Strategy 2025-2030 🤝 “Our joint work, joint commitment, and joint responsibility are the only way forward to a safer, healthier future,” said Mustafa Gashi, Acting Director of the Emergency Management Agency. As WHO continues to support Kosovo in strengthening health preparedness, these efforts, financially supported by the EU, contribute to WHO/Europe’s Preparedness 2.0 strategy—ensuring robust partnerships, evidence-based planning, and whole-of-society resilience against future threats. 🔗 Read more about our ongoing efforts to safeguard health in Kosov* and beyond👇 https://bit.ly/4kfs5AA *All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).

The #climate crisis is a #health crisis🌍 Together, we can address it. Join our hearing on #ClimateChange and #health this Friday. ✍ Register now: https://bit.ly/4fM9Nn7 📅 28 Feb 10:00 CET This is your opportunity to shape the future of #health in Europe and Central Asia. The hearing is part of a series to inform the development of the Second European Programme of Work (#EPW2) 2025–2030. Learn more about EPW2: https://bit.ly/3Wfszwt #UnitedActionForBetterHealth #ECEHBonn

📢 Your #health, your voice. Help us shape the future of health in Europe and Central Asia Join the next hearing on #ClimateChange and #Health. Sign up now: https://bit.ly/4fM9Nn7 📅 28 Feb 10:00 CET 🎤 Meet some of our speakers: • Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe • Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder - The Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace • Sir Andrew Haines, Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U. of London • H.E. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Former Prime Minister, Iceland This is your opportunity to shape the future of #health in Europe and Central Asia. The hearing is part of a series to inform the development of the Second European Programme of Work (#EPW2) 2025–2030. Learn more about EPW2: https://bit.ly/3Wfszwt #UnitedActionForBetterHealth #ECEHBonn

New technologies are transforming health care. Artificial intelligence (AI), precision medicine and improved use of personal and population data have the potential to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases, ultimately improving people’s health and well-being. But these new advances are no substitute for the human touch. Person-centred care based on human connection remains at the core of health care. Patients’ rights, including the privacy of their data, must be safeguarded. The affordability of these new technologies, people’s ability to access them and the role of market-driven private sector firms all demonstrate the importance of understanding and addressing the question of equitable access to health care. Decision-makers need the tools and knowledge to make the right decisions to leverage the potential of new technologies in health. Last Friday, 21st February, over 700 participants from across the European Region and beyond joined our third public hearing on the new WHO European Programme of Work, this time on “Health Systems of the Future”. Join the next events: https://bit.ly/4jhLSyS Natasha Azzopardi Muscat oversaw the discussion, introducing a personal perspective from Hans Kluge about the possibilities for technology to increase face to face contact time between patients and medical staff. Monica Garcia Gomez talked about the Spanish Ministry of Health commitment to developing technology and artificial intelligence in healthcare that directly improves people's health. Teymur Musayev , Minister of Health in Azerbaijan spoke of the need to develop legislative frameworks to ensure ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. Bogi Eliasen, Director of Health at Copenhagen Future Institute gave a keynote address underlining that technology is a tool to create the health systems of the future, which can be applied to support improvements in prevention, treatment, dignity and equity, and sustainability. This was followed by a series of lighting talks by Line Farah, Katherine Rouleau, Johan van Eldere, Bettina Lundgren and Mohammad Al-Ubaydli , bookmarked by perspectives from David Novillo Ortiz and Tomas Zapata. Participants were then invited to join breakout sessions on: - Paradigm shifts in service delivery - Balancing digital solutions and AI, and Human-Centred Care - Precision Medicine and Population Health Perspective: Working Together for Impact - Optimizing the performance of the health workforce - Profit vs patient health outcomes – navigating the risks of private equity in health care delivery - Big Data and Predictive Modelling in Policy Making - The role of technology in greening health system The hearing will help to develop the second European Programme of Work. Interested to find out how you can join the conversation? Sign up for the final two discussions on the 28th February and 7th March: https://bit.ly/4jhLSyS #EPW2 #UnitedActionForBetterHealth

Three years of war in Ukraine have left deep scars—both seen and unseen. Mental health needs are rising, with 68% of Ukrainians reporting a decline in their health since the war began. Mental health support, trauma care, and rehabilitation remain critical. WHO is addressing Ukraine’s growing health needs, working to ensure access to quality healthcare for all Ukrainians, with a focus on strengthening primary healthcare to combat the prevalence of NCDs and expanding access to vital mental health and rehabilitation services. We are also supporting building a resilient health system by collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Service of Ukraine to update reimbursement packages, including rehabilitation, and standardised assessment tools. This ensures resources are allocated where they are needed most, laying a stronger foundation for quality care. WHO supports Ukraine through: Response: Immediate actions to meet urgent direct and indirect emergency needs. Recovery: Rebuilding and strengthening the health system, ensuring universal access to essential services. and Reforms: Ongoing systematic changes to Ukraine’s health sector to align the health system with EU and international best practices. This aligns with the WHO Country Cooperation Strategy, Ukraine 2024-2030.

Today marks 3 years since the full-scale war in #Ukraine began. Attacks on health care have become a disturbing reality, putting lives at risk and crippling essential services. In these three years, World Health Organization has documented over 2,254 attacks on health facilities – 40% targeting primary care facilities. In 2024 alone, there were 470 attacks - a 31% increase compared to 2023. In just 55 days of 2025, there have been 42 attacks, causing 12 injuries and 3 deaths. Health facilities and healthcare workers must never be a target. Health is the foundation of peace & recovery. Rebuilding the health system restores hope, dignity and the future. At World Health Organization, we work on recovery, response and reform – simultaneously. Over the last three years, I’ve visited #Ukraine six times, seeing firsthand the dedication and efforts of my World Health Organization Ukraine colleagues, partners in government and civil society, for which I am deeply grateful 🙏. Their commitment is resolute, but they can’t do it alone. That’s why we call on our int’l partners: We need your support now more than ever. Every delay worsens the crisis and raises future costs. Together, we can ensure essential care reaches those who need it most. I invite you to watch a short video showcasing one of our critical initiatives – the installation of 29 modular structures, including 26 primary health facilities and 3 emergency medical stations. Built with the Ukrainian Health Ministry, partners and donors, these facilities now serve 250,000 people in frontline communities. WHO Regional Office for Europe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Jarno Habicht

#DYK❓Every 8 minutes someone is killed on the roads of our Region. Road crashes are the leading cause of death for kids and young adults aged 5 to 29. Read how countries are strengthening #RoadSafety 👉 bit.ly/4b189NX Road deaths are PREVENTABLE when countries put people and safety first: ✅ Ensuring a safe, efficient and sustainable mix of transport types, incl. mass public transport ✅ Protecting the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users

Between 2030 and 2050, #ClimateChange is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths globally per year 🌍 Join the next hearing on #ClimateChange & #Health to help identify solutions.. Sign up now: https://bit.ly/4fM9Nn7 📅 28 Feb 10:00 CET This is your opportunity to shape the future of #health in Europe and Central Asia. The hearing is part of a series to inform the development of the Second European Programme of Work (#EPW2) 2025–2030. Learn more about EPW2: https://bit.ly/3Wfszwt #UnitedActionForBetterHealth #ECEHBonn