The South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
This MoU marks the beginning of a strategic collaboration aimed at improving public health outcomes and promoting sustainable health systems in the South-Eastern European region. This partnership is rooted in a shared vision of fostering healthier communities through joint initiatives and capacity-building efforts in line with the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The MoU was signed by Dr Mira Jovanovski-Dašić, Director of the SEEHN Secretariat, and Dr Milka Sokolović, Director General of EPHA. The agreement formalises a framework for cooperation between the two organisations, including organising joint events, promoting capacity-building activities, and contributing to the achievement of SDG 3—Good Health and Well-being.
Dr Jovanovski-Dašić highlighted that “this partnership is a critical step towards strengthening health systems in South-Eastern Europe and by joining forces with EPHA, we will be better equipped to address key public health challenges in the region, including promoting equitable access to healthcare, improving health resilience, and advancing health policy reforms.”
The MoU emphasises collaboration in several key areas, including:
Organising joint public health events and fostering actions aimed at achieving better health outcomes for all;
Promoting institution- and capacity-building projects related to public health, such as healthy environments, health service delivery, and digital health;
Joint contributions to the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with SEEHN to drive forward our shared goals of health equity and stronger, more sustainable health systems,” said Dr Sokolović. “This partnership allows us to combine our expertise and networks to create lasting positive change in the region, improving health for everyone, especially vulnerable populations.”
This MoU will serve as a foundation for the two organisations to deepen their partnership over the next two years, with the potential for extension. The collaboration will also aim to facilitate knowledge sharing, support health system reforms, and promote the role of civil society in addressing public health challenges.
The first step to advance join efforts shall focus to strengthen Digital Health Literacy for All, in particular vulnerable populations in the South Eastern Europe.
About EPHA: The European Public Health Alliance – EPHA – is a change agent – Europe’s leading NGO alliance advocating for better health: https://epha.org/
The workshop took place in Bucharest on 29-30 August 2024, organized under the auspices of the SEEHN Secretariat, financed by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and hosted by the Order of Nurses and Midwives in Romania under the umbrella of the SEEHN Regional Health Development Center (RHDC) for Nurses and Midwives.
The Sub-Regional Workshop first objective was the strengthening of reporting on National Health Workforce Accounts, planned for publication in April 2025. The second objective was to harness this unique opportunity to build a network of dedicated focal points in the South Eastern Europe region.
The event was addressed by the Romanian Minister of Health, Prof. Alexandru Rafila, the Head of the WHO Country Office, Dr. Caroline Clarinval, the Director of SEEHN, Dr. Mira Dasic and the President of Order of Nurses and Midwives, Mr. Mircea Timofte.
There were more than 40 participants, out of which 35 in person and 8 online, from all 9 SEEHN member states, together with the SEEHN Secretariat, representatives of the partner-state Slovenia, and of the host organization.
On the first day of the workshop, WHO experts provided participants with detailed information on data registries and data-driven policies, focusing on the indicators included in the second edition of the State of Nurses Global report. During the second day, the participants discussed the challenges specific to each country and proposed concrete actions to improve existing capacities.
Among the identified commonalities across SEEHN countries, there are:
• Challenges in standardizing health worker definitions
• Recognition of the need for a select number of indicators to be routinely monitored
• Data flow issues between local authorities, the national level, and across governmental institutions
• Development of health workforce registries in some countries, with others recognizing the need to establish them
• The need for an enabling environment for digital transformation
• The importance of stakeholder involvement and coordination mechanisms in health workforce data and evidence
• The need for capacity building and training in data utilization and health workforce planning.
On the second day, Director of SEEHN Dr. Mira Dasic presented the initiatives and objectives of the network, as well as the operational status of the SEEHN RHDC for Nurses and Midwives. The President of the Order of Nurses and Midwives in Romania (ONM) Mr. Mircea Timofte emphasized the contributions of the organization at the national and regional level, followed by a detailed presentation by the Director of International Relations Ms. Roxana Hainagiu and the presentation of the visual identity proposals for the Center made by the ONM expert Mr. Dragoș Iordache.
In conclusion, the President of ONM Mr. Timofte informed about the official launch of the SEEHN Regional Health Development Center, scheduled for October 23, 2024.
Conclusions and the Future of Collaborations
The efforts of these two days will significantly contribute to improving the accuracy of health workforce data in SEEHN member states and will be reflected in the second edition of the Global State of Nursing report.
ONM as the host of the new SEEHN Regional Development Center for Nurses and Midwives in Romania remains committed to the development of a sub-regional strategy dedicated to the nurse and midwife professions, together with its regional and international partners.
SEEHN Secretariat thanks WHO and ONM for their continued collaboration and support, reaffirming its commitment to support and promote the development of nurses and midwives in the South Eastern Europe region.
Finally, this event was another opportunity to exchange and explore further regional needs and opportunities to build cross-country and cross-regional initiatives that SEEHN together with WHO shall support in future.
