21st International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services, 22-24 May, Gotteborg, Sweden

Our respectable partner, the International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services will hold its 21st International Conference "Towards a more health oriented health service: An issue of body and mind. The contribution of HPH to Health 2020" on 22-24 May in Gotteborg, Sweden.

Scope and Purpose For the program of the 21st International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH) in May 2013, the Scientific Committee decided to focus on approaches and tools to develop more health oriented health services. This selection was made for two reasons: First, the conference will mark the 20th anniversary of the European Pilot Hospital Project of Health Promoting Hospitals (EPHP). This project came to life in 1993 with the aim to make the WHO Ottawa Charters’ demand to “reorient health services” a reality for hospitals. This endeavor was taken up with regard to positive health, a comprehensive health orientation that refers to body and mind alike, and a stronger contribution of health services towards public health. In light of today’s NCD epidemic, the increasing inequity in health, and new health threats such as climate change, this reorientation is stronger needed than ever before. This need is also reflected in WHO-Euro’s new health policy paper Health 2020 which demands to strengthen person-centred health systems and public health services alike. Second, after 1995, the HPH conference 2013 will be the second one hosted by the Swedish HPH network. The 2013 conference will take further discussions on health gain measurement and related topics that were initiated earlier on. Top international speakers and experts and experienced HPH practitioners will come together to discuss specifically the following topics:

For more information and submission of abstracts, please, visit:
http://www.hphconferences.org/gothenburg2013.html

Upcoming event: Inauguration of the new Seat of the SEE Health Network Secretariat

In a week time from now, e.g. on the 7th of March 2013 the new Seat of the Secretariat of the SEE Health Network will be inaugurated in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.

The official launch will happen under the auspices of the Prime-Minister of the country and in the presence of the WHO  Regional Director for Europeand the current President of the Network, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Moldova!

This event is a major breakthrough and milestone in the SEE Health Network history and development! The new Secretariat will be the backbone and foundation for sustaining the SEE Health Network and the examplary regional cooperation for public health, peace and economic development in this region of Europe.

Our gratitute and appreciation goes to the Government of the Republic of Macedonia for keeping to its commitment in line with the signed Memorandum of Understanding and Host Agreement.

The SEE Health Network sincerely thanks WHO Regional Office for Europe for its never-failing and continuous political, technical, managerial and financial support since its commencment in 2001.

Many more partner organizations are to be commented too. Special thanks go to the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the European Commission, IOM, EuroHealthNet, the International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services, the Nordern Dimension Partnership for Public Health and Social Well-being, Project "Hope", the Regional Cooperation Council the successor of the Stability Pact for SEE.

We are extremely grateful to our partner countries, and particularly now to Belgium, Slovenia and Switzerland who, despite the difficult financial times and austerity measures, continued to provide their support!

The event will be attended by SEE Member States´ health delegations, National Health Coordinators, Ambassadors and important partners!

We will keep you informed of the event and its proceedings!

More to come soon!

To recall the path:

Dubrovnik, 2001! First Health Ministers Forum!
The signatories to the Dubrovnik Pledge on launching the regional cooperation for improving the health of the voulnerable populations in the SEE region:

Skopje, 2005! Second Health Ministers Forum!
The signatories of the Skopje Pledge on Health and Health Systems for Economic Development in SEE:

Banja Luka, 2011! Third Health Ministers Forum!
The signatories of the Banja LUka  Pledge on Health in All Policies in SEE: A Shared Role and Responsibility:

Second issue of the SEE Health Network Newsletter on Mental Health

The SEE Health Network Regional Development Centre for Mental Health, established two years ago at the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnja and Hercegovina in line with the SEE Health Network Memorandum of Understanding, has just published the seond edition of its Newsletter "Healthy mind, healthy Community".

In his introductory article  Mr. Sredoje Novic, MA, Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, points out that:

" ... The mental health reform is ongoing in the SEEHN member countries. Although the progress in this area is considerable, mental health issues are still increasing and have a significant influence on the development of health and social systems and economies.

   Therefore, a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the issue of mental health is necessary, what was recognized by the World Health Assembly that adopted the solution on Mental Health in May 2012. In this document the Member States expressed comittment to "promotion of mental health, prevention of mental disorders, and early identification, care, support, treatment and recovery of person with mental disorders.
...

   The strong regional cooperation among the countries of the SEE Health Network and their partners provides the opportunity to face the challenges together on this journey and to pursue this goal - improving mental health and wellbeing of the population of South Eastern Europe".

 

To learn more about the regional and national developments in all the 10 SEEHN Member States in the field of mental health please visit the website of the SEEHN Regional Health Development Centre for Mental Health at the following link:

 

http://www.mcp.gov.ba/org_jedinice/sektor_zdravstvo/regionalni_centar/Default.aspx?langTag=en-US

Health Policy Paper Series No. 8: Analysis of public health operations, services and activities in the Republic of Moldova

WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova have just published the "Analysis of Public Health Operations, Services and Activities.

"The public health system in Republic of Moldova has undergone various reforms since 1992, as a part of wider health sector reform. The inherited sanitary-epidemiological services were transformed into a broader public health service. Reorganization of the public health system will continue in the coming years, both at national and regional levels, in order to strengthen the institutional framework, building a system that can address and respond to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
 

To evaluate the current public health services and activities and to make recommendations for strengthening their capacities, an overall assessment was carried out during 2011–2012, using the WHO  European Region self-assessment tool. This report presents the results of that assessment of Moldovan public health services, carried out as a joint effort of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the WHO Country Office in Moldova, the Moldovan Ministry of Health,the National Centre of Public Health, and representatives of Centres of Public Health and health institutions within the country.

The report addresses the major challenges in the health sector, including demographics, the low level of public health service financing, and the significant burden of noncommunicable diseases and social and health inequalities. It also argues in favour of promoting public health governance and a “Health in all policies” approach through multi- and intersectoral collaboration, including the coordination of public health activities within the health sector and beyond it.

The main conclusions and recommendations of the report will serve as a base for the development of the National Public Health Strategy 2013–2020, a policy document for effective interventions to reduce health inequalities and improve population health.

Find the full publication at:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/republic-of-moldova/publications2/health-policy-paper-series-no.-8-analysis-of-public-health-operations,-services-and-activities-in-the-republic-of-moldova

Some more interesting OCH reading from WHO Head Quarters

WHO GOHNET Newsletter Number 20 - January 2013 could be read at:

http://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/newsletter/gohnet_newsletter_20/en/index.html#.URzR-Qb7xdU.facebook

WHO draft action plan for NCDs covers also some occupational health aspects

.
Dr. Ivan Dimov Ivanov, WHO Head Quarters,  shared a link:

The WHO draft action plan for NCDs covers also some occupational health aspects of noncommunicable diseases, such as healthy workplaces, occupational and work-related noncommunicable diseases, and linking occupational health services to primary care. See below link to the WHO invitation for comments:

WHO | Third round of informal consultations on the development of a WHO global action plan for the prevention of NCDs
http://www.who.int/nmh/events/2013/consultation_201303012/en/index.html#.URzTZM0qkBE.facebook
www.who.int

New report on access to health care services in Moldova available now to facilitate further discussions ...

WHO/Europe | Barriers and facilitating factors in access to health services in the Republic of Moldova

A new publication, posted by the WHO Representative and Head of country Office, Dr. Jarno Habicht:

 

"In the context of global efforts to move towards universal coverage in health systems, this report identifies barriers and facilitating factors in accessing health services in the Republic of Moldova. The study looks in particular at how the population’s access to health services has been affected by the recent efforts (2009–2011) to extend health services coverage"

www.euro.who.int
WHO/Europe, 2012: Health Policy Paper Series No. 9.

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/183510/e96775-final.pdf

Public health program capacity for sustainability: a new framework

A good reading for all experts of the SEE HEalth Network!

By Sarah F Schell, Douglas A Luke, Michael W Schooley, Michael B Elliott, Stephanie H Herbers, Nancy B Mueller and Alicia C Bunger

http://www.implementationscience.com/content/8/1/15/abstract

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Public health programs can only deliver benefits if they are able to sustain activities over time. There is a broad literature on program sustainability in public health, but it is fragmented and there is a lack of consensus on core constructs. The purpose of this paper is to present a new conceptual framework for program sustainability in public health.

Methods

This developmental study uses a comprehensive literature review, input from an expert panel, and the results of concept-mapping to identify the core domains of a conceptual framework for public health program capacity for sustainability. The concept-mapping process included three types of participants (scientists, funders, and practitioners) from several public health areas (e.g., tobacco control, heart disease and stroke, physical activity and nutrition, and injury prevention).

Results

The literature review identified 85 relevant studies focusing on program sustainability in public health. Most of the papers described empirical studies of prevention-oriented programs aimed at the community level. The concept-mapping process identified nine core domains that affect a program´s capacity for sustainability: Political Support, Funding Stability, Partnerships, Organizational Capacity, Program Evaluation, Program Adaptation, Communications, Public Health Impacts, and Strategic Planning. Concept-mapping participants further identified 93 items across these domains that have strong face validity?89% of the individual items composing the framework had specific support in the sustainability literature.

Conclusions

The sustainability framework presented here suggests that a number of selected factors may be related to a program´s ability to sustain its activities and benefits over time. These factors have been discussed in the literature, but this framework synthesizes and combines the factors and suggests how they may be interrelated with one another. The framework presents domains for public health decision makers to consider when developing and implementing prevention and intervention programs. The sustainability framework will be useful for public health decision makers, program managers, program evaluators, and dissemination and implementation researchers.
 

Make Health Fair: learn from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

On 23 January 2013 the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine posted:

"Everyone has a right to good health, but major inequalities exist across the world. Did you know 99% of mothers who die in pregnancy and childbirth are from developing countries?

And it's not just between countries that inequality exists but within them too. In the US, for example, African Americans make up 12% of the population but represent almost 50% of all new HIV infections.

Reasons for health inequality include differences in lifestyle, education, income, housing, ethnicity and of course accessibility to healthcare. Understanding all these factors and addressing them through policy changes requires a wide range of skills and expertise.

Feeling inspired? Click on the staff and alumni profiles below to learn more about their work and how you can get involved. Have your say on Twitter - #MakeHealthFair!"

Learn more at:

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/features/2013/makehealthfair.html

Simulation strengthens emergency preparedness in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

WHO/Europe and the WHO Country Office in Skopje work closely with health authorities in the country to strengthen the health system’s preparedness to respond to crises.


The dtails could be followed on:
http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/the-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia/sections/news/2012/11/simulation-strengthens-emergency-preparedness-in-the-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia

National congress focuses on disease prevention as key to strengthening public health in Slovenia

The 5th Congress on Preventive Medicine, held in Portorož on 15–17 November 2012, brought together 250 public health professionals to focus on four key topics:
•society and health
•promotion and health protection
•environment and health
•communicable diseases and immunization.

Learn more at:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/slovenia/news/news/2012/12/national-congress-focuses-on-disease-prevention-as-key-to-strengthening-public-health-in-slovenia

98 cities now designated in Phase V of Healthy Cities

Congratulations to the cities of Grasse in France and Novi Sad in Serbia.
See why:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/serbia/sections/news/2012/11/98-cities-now-designated-in-phase-v-of-healthy-cities

Minister Desislava Dimitrova: "Bulgaria can stand and fight the worst disease, Cancer", 07.2.2013 г.

"Bulgaria can stand and fight the worse diagnose "cancer" and we can do that by being all together".

This was  stated by the Bulgarian Minister of Health at the charity concert " Together against cervix cancer: Choose life" which was held under the auspices of the Char of the 41st Bulgarian Parliament, Ms. Tzetzka Txacheva.

The Minister of Health noted that the country can prevent cervix cancer spread and underlined that in 2012-2013 the Government has committed over 2 million BGL to vaccinate the 12year old girls in the country.

See more at the Bulgarian Ministry of health website at:

http://www.mh.government.bg/News.aspx?lang=bg-BG&newsid=3925&home=true

National Public Health Strategy in the Republic of Moldova nearing completion

The process of developing a National Public Health Strategy in the Republic of Moldova entered its final stage, as a pre-final version of the Strategy was presented and discussed on 17 January 2013 at a national workshop conducted by the Ministry of Health with support from the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the WHO Country Office. The draft Strategy was developed in line with the new European policy framework – Health 2020 and the European Action Plan for Strengthening Public Health Capacities and Services. See further information on WHO Europe Website. Below is the link to it:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/republic-of-moldova/news/news/2013/01/national-public-health-strategy-in-the-republic-of-moldova-nearing-completion

Initiative to reduce salt in food kicks off in Montenegro

Montenegro, a Member of the SEE Health Network and the leading country on NCD prevention and control makes an important step in implementing both the European and its own plan fr that:

The WHO Country Office, Montenegro and the Ministry of Health, the Institute for Public Health and the national food council of Montenegro have launched a joint initiative to combat the prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) caused by an overconsumption of salt in the diet. The initiative, introduced on 17 December 2012, was developed in response to evidence of the link between excessive salt intake and life-threatening NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases.
 

See the whole information on WHO Regional Office for Europe Website:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/where-we-work/member-states/montenegro/sections/news/2013/01/initiative-to-reduce-salt-in-food-kicks-off-in-montenegro

The Croatian experience: a further reading

Dear members and experts of the SEE Health Network,

Several days ago the SEEHN Secretariat informed you of the extraordinary succes of our colleagues from Croatia who were awarded The Global Health Program of Distinction Award for the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health´s "Health-Plan for it" programme. 

Following several requests, Dr. Selma Sogoric, National Health Coordinator of Croatia for the SEEHN and leader of the programme, was so kind to share with us the article that describes and analyses the programme and its success.

A B S T R A C T

The subject of this paper is how to incorporate a multi-disciplinary and inter-sectored approach into development of public health policy and  plans at the local (county) level in Croatia by educational program. Method used was the public health capacity building program »Health – Plan for it«, which was developed with the aim to assist the counties to overcome recognized weaknesses and introduce more effective and efficient local public health practices. Two main instruments were used: Local Public Health Practice Performance Measures Instrument, and Basic Priority Rating System. This program has helped counties to asses population health needs in a participatory manner, to plan for health and, ultimately, assure provision of the right kind and quality of services (better tailored to population health needs). This program’s benefits are going beyond and above the county level. It provides support for the Healthy Cities project locally, and facilitates changes in national policymaking body’s mindset that a »one-size-fits-all« approach is sufficient.

 

The full article can be found on the following link:
http://www.collantropol.hr/_doc/Coll.Antropol.29%282005%291_111-119.pdf 

WHO Europe Roma Health Newsletter

Since May 2012 WHO Regional Office for Europe started issuing a regular newsletter on Roma health. This is a part of the WHO Europe policy, strategy and actions to deal with inequities in the region together with its major partners.

Most of the SEE Health Network Member States do have minority groups of their populations that are voulnerable and are facing worse health problems. This refers to a highest extent to the Roma poluplation in the SEE sub-region of Europe.

The new health policies, strategies and actions of all interested partners with regards to Roma population in Europe could be followed through the relatively new WHO Regional Office for Europe Newsletter on Roma Health problems. 

"Roma are Europe's largest ethnic minority: an estimated 12 to 15 million Roma live in Europe. There is evidence that Roma can experience significant inequities in health system access, exposure to risk factors and health outcomes. Adverse social conditions such as poverty and exclusion contribute to these inequities.

The purpose of this newsletter is to share information and resources relevant to improving Roma health, and thereby support current efforts to strengthen the health components of national Roma integration strategies or sets of policy measures in the EU and action plans for the Decade of Roma Inclusion.

The newsletter is published by WHO/Europe in cooperation with the European Commission – Directorate-General for Health and Consumers and the Interuniversity Institute of Social Development and Peace at the University of Alicante, Spain. It is produced as an output of the Interagency Coordination Initiative "Scaling up action towards MDGs 4 and 5 in the context of the Decade of Roma Inclusion and in support of the EU national Roma integration strategies", which is facilitated by WHO in cooperation with other United Nations agencies and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)."

You can follow the Newsletter using the link below:

http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-publish/newsletters/roma-health-newsletter