Within the mental health project “Mental Health and Resilience Training for healthcare workers responding to COVID-19 in SEE Region”, funded by Project HOPE and implemented by SEEHN Secretariat, throughout December 2021, in total nine training of trainers’ sessions enrolling more than 260 healthcare workers from BIH, MDA, MKD, MNE, SRB and KOS* were successfully conducted.
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Training sessions will continue in January, February and March 2022. Project targets to implement maximum 24 training of trainer’s sessions in SEE region enrolling maximum 720 HCWs (trainers), who will cascade the training at their working place and community and be those to empower others in their daily challenges and contributing to well-being.
The SEEHN Secretariat is implementing a mental health project “Mental Health and Resilience Training for healthcare workers responding to COVID-19 in SEE Region”. funded by Project HOPE insix of SEEHN Member States (ALB, BiH, MKD, MNE, SRB, MDA) plus Kosovo*. The TOT sessions will focus on building knowledge and skills on core resilience drivers and capacities. The target group of the project is estimated to reach more than 720 healthcare workers.
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The training of trainers’ sessions started on 15 December in North Macedonia followed by Serbia on 16 December and Montenegro on 17 December 2021.
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Present at the opening of the virtual sessions, the Director of the SEEHN Secretariat, Dr. Mira Dašić, referred to the strong mental impact of Covid-19 on front-line health workers and the importance of cooperation and joint efforts in addressing this heavy toll. Since the start of the pandemic, health and care workers have been under unprecedented pressure as they provide care to COVID-19 patients, maintain essential health services, and roll-out vaccination rounds. Their work is the backbone of any health system, but the pandemic has brought to the front both their contributions and sacrifices. The SEE Health Network has been striving to implement initiatives that would reach out most of the health and care workers from the entire South Eastern European Region, the Director mentioned in the opening remarks.
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Notably, director Dašić emphasized the crucial role of personal commitment and contribution to dissemination efforts. I am grateful to all of you for the time and commitment to jointly address such an important issue as mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers. We expect you shall roll-out these training at your working place and community and be those to empower others in their daily challenges by contributing to the well-being around you.
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The content of the session is based on adapted training materials from NYC Health + Hospitals, with the generous support of the Center for Disaster Philanthrophy and provided by expert trainers from each of the implemented countries. The participants will have the opportunity to gain a deeper perspective on topics such as stress, trauma & resiliency, personal and professional wellness, impact, effect & outcome on healthcare workers, seeking help for ourselves & others, resilience & wellness program development.
On 12 December 2012, the United Nations unanimously adopted a historical resolution calling for action to accelerate progress toward universal access to quality, affordable healthcare without facing financial hardship.
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5 years later, in 2017, UN General Assembly proclaimed 12 December as the International Universal Health Coverage Day in an effort to raise awareness on the paramount importance of strengthening health systems to ensure they are equitable, resilient, and able to meet everyone’s needs.
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Today, we are at a critical juncture, where the devastating consequences of the last two years threaten not only to fail to meet the SDG 2030 agenda but also to reverse already achieved development gains in many areas. The pandemic toll has been unprecedented and yet to be fully assessed, but with resolute recommitment from the highest political level, countries can still deliver on the 2030 Agenda.
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The theme chosen for celebration in 2021 Leave no one`s health behind-Invest in health system for all is proof of the pressing call for countries to champion smarter investments in health which would rebuild the post-pandemic world in a better and more equitable way.
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Today’s harsh reality urges us to reconfigure, adjust and adapt our health systems to build resilience and responsiveness to the needs of our people while placing people-centred primary healthcare at the core of the functioning of high-performance health systems.
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The SEE Health Network provides an excellent platform to join forces with multi-stakeholder partners in the SEE region to maintain health high on the political agenda, and to target the right investments for better impact.
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The Member States of the SEEHN are guided by the Chisinau Pledge priorities, which embedded at its core the universal health coverage approach. Moreover, SEEHN is determined to contribute to the ambitious strategic agenda based on the WHO European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health in Europe” and the recently endorsed Roadmap for Health in the Western Balkans, 2021-2025 as important tools for policy coherence and a pathway for investment in health in the region.
At the special event at the margins of the CEI Summit dedicated to the endorsement of WHO“Roadmap for Health and Well-being in the Western Balkans (2021-2025)”Prime Ministers commit to facilitating health reform initiatives to accelerate closing sub region’s health gap with EU & attaining SDGs.
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ENDORSEMENT REMARKS
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Western Balkans AND PARTNERS’ STATEMENTS OF ENDORSEMENT
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3 December 2021, Budva (Montenegro)
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Message from the director of the SEEHN Secretariat Dr Mira Jovanovski Dasic at the CEI Special Event on endorsement of WHO Roadmap for the WB:
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Your Excellency Mr Krivokapić, [Prime Minister of the Government of Montenegro]
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Dear Dr. Kluge, WHO Regional Director, [Regional Office for Europe]
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Dear Mr Antonione, [CEI Secretary General]
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Your Excellences, Ladies and gentlemen
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I feel honored today to address such a distinguished audience on behalf of the South Eastern-Europe Health Network.
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In our jubilee year, when we celebrate 20 years of partnership action of the South-eastern Health Network, we welcome our gathering as a true expression of solidarity and unity as the only possible way forward to support our Western Balkans Member States in the current context of COVID-19: Together – in partnership for health and wellbeing.
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We welcome the Roadmap for Health in Western Balkans as a robust and evidence-based pathway for our future joint and individual investments, policy, and action, where health is in the center of the economy of wellbeing.
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Thus, we praise our Western Balkans Member States for endorsing the Roadmap. The Joint Statement of Action demonstrates a tangible expression of multilateralism and strong unity in action for closing the health gaps between the Member States in our Region.
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We commit to fully support the implementation of the Roadmap as an active and strong partner in attaining the three strong and interlinked Roadmap’s objectives:
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• Health is our crucial mandate, and we will continue working and advocating to position health high in our Region’s political and developmental agendas, most notably through our Ministerial Forums and Pledges. As we are approaching our 6th Ministerial Forum in 2022, we will base our priorities and actions for our Region on the Roadmap, and will further build synergies and cooperation with partners and advocate to increase and better focus investments because of boosting the Roadmap’s implementation
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• Through our Regional Health Development Centers of excellence, we will continue working with the WHO Regional Office for Europe, European Union, Central European Initiative, RCC, and other bilateral partners and donors to increase outreach and support to our Member States in implementing the Roadmap reform initiatives in the key areas of action.
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Your excellences, the SEEHN has been created based on solidarity and unity with a strong mandate for peace and stability through health as a neutral interface of action among many stakeholders.
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Throughout the past 20 years, the South-Eastern Europe Health Network has offered an excellent platform for collective and harmonized action for health in our Region through our well-developed governance mechanisms. Today, with no less eagerness, we stand ready to join efforts to contribute and implement this ambitious but realistic Roadmap in the ultimate interest of our people’s wellbeing and closing the health gap in our Region.
As the pandemic is still unfolding globally and at a time when a fourth and a potential fifth wave is still keeping Europe under enormous pressure, it is too early to assess the full impact of this health emergency.
However to date, the COVID-19 has severely disrupted NCDs prevention and treatment services in many countries which is likely to lead, according to the WHO, to a long-term upsurge in deaths from NCDs.
Immediate action is essential to reverse these trends, and optimizing the skills mix of nurses and midwives can support health systems’ efforts to tackle with the growing burden of the disease.
On November 25 and 26, the South Eastern European Health Network, in cooperation with the European Commission’s Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Tool (TAIEX), organized a multi-country Workshop on Coping with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce in SEEHN Member States (Western Balkan and beyond).
As Dr. Mira Dasic, Director of the SEEHN Secretariat, mentioned in her introductury remarks, nurses and midwives playa key role in the successful delivery of health- and social-care services. As the health needs of the Region change (demographic challenges, morbidity profile, migration), nurses are becoming an increasingly important part of the response. Nurses and midwives work at all levels of health systems and across diverse settings and contexts they deliver quality care and their role is critical to achieve universal health coverage and to make it a reality for every citizen.
The two-day event aimed to strengthen and modernize the workforce capacities in nursing and midwifery and to provide support and management of the NCDs at the community level. The workshop provided insight into best practices from EU Member States, reflecting on the possibilities of extending or implementing competency-based models for nurses in the SEE region, as well as enabling and applying EU Recommendations and EU standards in addressing NCDs. This multi-country event also explored the digital possibilities of being integrated and thus strengthening the resilience of the health workforce. The workshop was organised in co-operation with Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova and SEEHN Regional Health Development Center on Human Resources for Health hosted by the Republic of Moldova.
It is my pleasure to address you, on behalf of the SEEHN Secretariat, at the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction. I wish to congratulate the organizers for providing us with this platform for discussions.
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When approached by the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative for South-Eastern Europe to contribute and implement the project on the global INFORM risk index in Member States of bilateral mandate, SEEHN Secretariat took great interest. The countries that participated in the pilot assessment are Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
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SEEHN Secretariat, in particular, supported the data collection of health related indicators as part of the subnational INFORM risk index for the above mentioned countries. The process started in January 2021 and we had ensured commitment from the respective ministries of health.
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Using the subnational INFORM model for South East Europe, data has been gathered at the first administrative level (corresponding to the subnational regions, capitals and municipalities) of Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, in total for 44 administrative units.
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The INFORM model is based on three dimensions of risk: Hazards & Exposure, Vulnerability and Lack of Coping Capacity – to provide an overview of the underlying factors leading to humanitarian risk. Thus, the results are of particular importance to health actors reflecting on the preparedness of the national systems.
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From the other side, the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of how important is the preparedness and resilience. These two areas are largely discussed during the last two years especially on how we can improve them and be prepared to an eventual new threat.
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At this very point, I believe that the sub-national and the regional cross-countries collaboration, and coordination between international actors shall trail a comprehensive and timely preparedness and response action to emergencies.
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In this respect, the first step would be to share the results and raise awareness on the current situation, with the government stakeholders. This can be done in various ways, during the bilateral meetings, in the framework of the SEEHN Plenary meetings and by using the next year platform of the ministerial Forum.
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We shall back our communication efforts with solutions by providing capacity building to the countries, or even dive and select the riskier regions – enhance capacities and ensure transfer of knowledge and practices from the better off to the less safe regions.
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At the same time, our efforts could be channelled to streamline fundraising to this priority and support all the activities proposed earlier.
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The INFORM index supports a proactive disaster risk management framework. It will be helpful for an objective allocation of resources for disaster risk reduction and management as well as for coordinated actions focused on anticipating, mitigating, and preparing for humanitarian emergencies. It also identifies areas for improvement in national disaster data availability and compliance with implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, SDGs and other global initiatives.
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In conclusion, I wish to remind ourselves how the COVID-19 pandemic just brought preparedness to disasters back into the top priority line. We shall use the created momentum to build upon it. Despite all the challenges that we have, we keep our work centred to better serve SEEHN Member States.
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Finally, I wish to emphasize the importance of the topic and to highlight the particular fruitful cooperation of the SEEHN with all parties involved: the Secretariat of Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative for South-Eastern Europe and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Governments of the SEEHN Member States involved.
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I express my thanks on this occasion and encourage this practice to continue in the future to strengthen the regional cooperation within South Eastern Europe.
On 22 and 23 November, the South Eastern Europe Health Network organized a Multi-Country Workshop on Intervention and Policies on Antibiotics Use with the support of the European Commission’s Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX).
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The online meeting provided a great opportunity for the representatives of the beneficiary Member States and guests to mark the World Antimicrobial Resistance Week, to discuss and to assess the progress and future challenges and to jointly support solutions to advance the region`s transition to sustainable solutions for addressing AMR.
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A specific focus was placed on identifying and reviewing indicators and standards that may contribute to measuring the progress of the National Program/Action Plan to combat AMR in the SEE region.
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The workshop also addressed the multi-sectoral approach of the One Health vision that integrates human medicine, veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, agriculture and environment with the aim of mitigating and curbing the AMR trend.
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More than 80 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo* and Turkey exchanged knowledge and experiences that should further inform personalized actions, public awareness campaigns, and strengthened cross-sectoral cooperation in the field.
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The workshop was organized in close collaboration with Albanian Institute of Public Health and benefited from the expertise and guidance of the Department of Infectious Diseases, from the National Institute of Health in Italy.
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* This designation is without prejudice to position on status and is in line with the UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is celebrated every year by supporting efforts to prevent the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections through effective communication and education.
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Despite the death toll and the devastating economic and social inequities brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the health threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is no less dangerous, with antibiotics becoming less effective and drugs becoming more expensive.
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Moreover, the misuse of antibiotics during the current health crisis is expected to have much greater negative health consequences, hindering the progress of ARM management programs. Estimates already reveal worrying prospects by 2050, even higher than cancer, with 10 million deaths that could result globally due to antibiotic resistance.
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With the same slogan as last year, called Antimicrobial: Treat with care, this year’s theme of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2021 sends the world a key message about one of the core principles that trigger resilient health interventions. Spread awareness, stop resistance.
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Without immediate action, South East Europe could become a regional hotspot for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. As such, combating antibiotic resistance is one of the main pillars of SEEHN intervention in the region, supporting the adoption of better antibiotic administration programs for patients.
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Based on previous initiatives successfully implemented in the region, SEEHN will organize, in cooperation with the Albanian Institute of Public Health, supported by TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission) a Workshop on antibiotic interventions and policies in SEEHN Member States (Western Balkans and beyond).
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The two-day event will take place virtually on 22 and 23 November, 2021 and will benefit from the guidance of experts from the Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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The purpose of this workshop is to map the current situation in the implementation of AMR control programs in SEEHN Member States, as recommended by the World Health Organization and the European Commission, and to report on progress to date, improvements and gaps in the participating Member States.
The Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Center published the results from the subnational risk INFORM index for the 3 pilot DPPI SEE and SEEHN member states Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia .
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The INFORM index supports a proactive disaster risk management framework. It will be helpful for an objective allocation of resources for disaster risk reduction and management as well as for coordinated actions focused on anticipating, mitigating, and preparing for humanitarian emergencies.
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Congratulations to all who have been involved in the process!
On November 9 and 10, a multicountry workshop on “Clinical guidelines on Sexual and Reproductive Health in SEEHN” was held virtually. The workshop was the result of SEEHN cooperation with the Ministry of Health of North Macedonia, the SEEHN Regional Health Development Centre on Sexual and Reproductive Health – the East European Institute for Reproductive Health of Romania and the European Commission’s Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Tool (TAIEX) that funded the workshop.
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In her introductory statement, Dr. Dasic, Director of the SEEHN Secretariat, mentioned that COVID-19 has caused major failures and disruptions that need to be remedied as soon as possible so to reduce the inequality gap. SEEHN’s work will focus on counteracting the devastating consequences. “Low- and middle-income countries have suffered the most and have seen a decline in service delivery of up to 47%. WHO reports that the most frequently interrupted services on average included: unit-based services (61%); diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases (69%), family planning and contraception (68%), prenatal care (56%) and diagnosis and treatment of cancer (55%). Unfortunately, the impact will be far-reaching due to the increasing disparities between countries and within them. Our work will aim to reduce this,” she said.
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The purpose of this multi-country workshop is to strengthen the capacity of health professionals to develop and implement clinical guidelines for sexual and reproductive health services, which have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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During the two-day talks, the experts also discussed the current situation in the South Eastern Europe region and proposed a coherent and comprehensive national policy framework. In addition, experts provided advice on how to produce and promote good clinical practice in the best interests of the patient to improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare.
“Mental Health and Resilience Training for HCWs responding to COVID-19 in SEE Region” kick-off meeting of the newly launched project took place on 8 November in the virtual space shared by National Focal Points and Mental Health experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo*.
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Building on SEEHN Secretariat previous successful collaboration with Project HOPE and applying the training of trainers (TOT) approach, the current project aims to support SEEHN Member States and guests’ efforts to improve the well-being of health workers.
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The specific objective focuses on providing deeper knowledge and basic tools and techniques to build more personal resilience and, consequently, to achieve the systemic resilience that our health systems are in critical need of.
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Specific actions of this capacity building project include:
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1. Involvement of local health authorities and institutions in advocating for the mental health of health workers;
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2. Adaptation of HERO-NY training materials to the local context of target project participants by local mental health experts and local health workers; (slides of adapted material)
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3. Strengthen the capacity of health workers using HERO-NY adapted material and the Train the Trainers (ToTs) approach to create a group of trainers, eager to disseminate the information of their colleagues and exponentially increase the coverage of this training;
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4. Providing cascading sessions to other health workers.
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This project is developed and implemented by the SEEHN Secretariat and is funded by Project HOPE. It is expected to reach up to 8000 healthcare workers in the SEE region.
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The training sessions will address key concepts of stress, trauma and resilience, with specific reference to:
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Personal and professional wellness
Impact, effect & outcome on HCWs
Seeking help for ourselves & others
Resilience & wellness program development.
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Dr. Mira Dasic, Director of the SEEHN Secretariat, welcomed the participants at the kick-off meeting and emphasized in her opening remarks the devastating impact of the pandemic on mental health, with a focus on regional inequities. “The COVID-19 pandemic continues with different speed and another wave is escalating. At the same time, the mental health toll is in continuous rise and it is expected to last as a global phenomenon. The South Eastern Europe Region is a fragile region where during the pandemic increased the inequality gap and mental health issues are surging.” She stated in her intervention. The virtual session included a presentation of the training program and a review on the latest data within the research area. Exploratory discussions were held with participants on the project outline (objectives, activities, and dynamics) and their expectations regarding the outcome of the project.
Dr. Danijela Urošević, Chair of the South-Eastern Europe Health Network Executive Committee represented the Network at the Conference on The Role of the European Union in Strengthening Health Systems Resilience Globally.
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The event was held virtually, on October 20, 2021, under the auspices of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of EU.
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The Conference aimed to identify a set of actions to support overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and better preparing for future pandemics. The key outcome of the conference called for a holistic, inclusive, and coordinated approach to health systems strengthening within Europe and beyond.
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Dr. Urošević’s intervention focused on the role and remit of the SEEHN and its contribution to the strengthening of the health systems within its Member States, on the prospects of the recently launched WHO Roadmap for Health and well-being in the Western Balkans (2021-2025) and on the promising opportunities to be addressed in partnership by EU and SEEHN.
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She also spoke on the Network’s 20th anniversary this year, highlighting the progress and contribution to health gains in the region. In her speech, she referred to the regional health development centres as drivers for regional cooperation and expertise, to the international partnerships that have built and continue to build core capacities within the Network Member States health systems, and to the deep-rooted principles that have guided the work of the Network over the years, such as solidarity, leaving no one behind and attaining the highest possible level of health.
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Dr. Urošević emphasized the main pillars of the WHO Roadmap for Health and well-being in the Western Balkans, priority actions and reform initiatives in correlation with the SEEHN synergies that are seen regionally as important milestones aimed to re-build the economies of the WBs and promote an environment in which people thrive and have their health needs met.
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Last but not least, shared rules and enhanced cooperation between EU and SEEHN were highlighted as values that should underpin better and fairer reconstruction in the SEE region, while supporting direct mechanisms such as TAIEX to create positive outcomes in areas of common regional interest such as health emergency resilience, mental health, immunization agenda, digital health as well as behavioural and cultural insights.
The South-Eastern Europe Health Network congratulates Dr. Angel Kunchev, SEEHN NHC from Bulgaria and Bulgaria’s Chief Health Inspector for being awarded with the well-deserved distinction of Doctor of the Year 2021 by the Bulgarian Medical Association.
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The challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic to health systems including their leadership around the world make this recognition genuinely outstanding and Professor Kunchev`s work even more admirable.
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The official award announcement mentions that „throughout his professional career, Assoc. Prof. Angel Kunchev has worked tirelessly to solve problems in the healthcare system, and since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, he has shown consistent work, boldly defending his positions“.
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The SEEHN uses this opportunity to also acknowledge Dr. Kunchev`s active involvement and his substantial contribution to the establishment, growth and development of the SEE Health Network!
On October 10, in an effort to raise awareness of mental health issues and to mobilize action to build mental resilience, the world celebrates World Mental Health Day .
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The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic challenges of recovery have negatively affected the mental health of many people and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness. This has also been the devastating reality of a rapidly advancing crisis in many countries in South-Eastern Europe.
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The hot spots revealed by the crisis, highlighted a truth that has been so ignored, the necessity to invest in mental health as a basis for the sustainable development of our societies. The most vulnerable are always particularly affected.
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Investing in mental health is key to changing societal attitudes. We need to focus on many fronts, from improving access to treatment and supporting research to identifying new therapies, to increasing the quality of mental health services and mental health awareness, and enhancing efforts to reduce the associated stigma.
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Progress must go hand in hand with a strong cultural transformation. Education has a crucial role to play in making our strategies person-centred and truly inclusive.
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It is encouraging that mental health is central to the WHO Euro new European Work Program. The recent launch of the Pan-European Coalition for Mental Health is a stark example of strong partnerships designed to ensure significant and sustained positive impacts.
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The South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) remains committed to ongoing commitment to work together in a joint effort to reverse the trends in mental health disorders. SEEHN needs to continue to improve the synergies between national governments, European authorities and civil society to address the links between mental health, poverty and social inequality, access to universal health coverage and holistic well-being.
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Particular emphasis should be placed on the healthcare professionals.
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The SEE Health Network recently conducted a study on workplace stress in health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study released at the 17th meeting of the SEE Network on Workers Health (SEENWH) on Occupational Health “Health workers during COVID-19 pandemics” revealed in the Network member states different levels of stress, burnout, depersonalization experienced by frontline health professionals caused by both high job and organizational demand and low job satisfaction.
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The SEEHN strongly encourages its Member States to take urgent action to protect the mental wellbeing of the health professionals and to further extend resources to fight the silent mental health pandemic. We must continue to work to strengthen our European commitment to mental health as a rights-based approach, to provide us with the tools we need to effectively address the adverse world we live in today.
Dr Dasic participated and shared the SEEHN experience within the session Strengthening health systems worldwide What next for the EU global health approach?
Dr. Mira Dasic, the Director of SEEHN Secretariat had a meeting on 22 September in Podgorica with Dr Igor Galic, the Director of the Institute of Public Health Montenegro. The RHDC Acting Director, Dr. Milica Stanisic, also attended the Meeting.
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Dr. Dasic explained the organizational structure of the Network, gave an overview of the ongoing and a short reflection on the planned activities and events. Also explained the role of the SEEHN Secretariat and emphasized its importance as the main engine for providing administrative and technical support to the Network’s activities.
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The SEEHN Regional Health Development Centers (RHDCs) being the main vector of technical expertise were at the center of the discussion. An accent was placed on the work of the RHDC on Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), based in IPH Montenegro.
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Dr. Galic expressed his gratitude for Dr Dasic’s visit, for the fruitful cooperation with the SEEHN Secretariat and the importance of the RHDCs functioning in the past as well as for the future. He suggested new possible joint actions and activities supported by the Secretariat, especially in the area of Cancer screening programs in the Network’s Member States and the region. He said that he is looking forward to continue the activities and to give full support to the RHDC on NCDs, hosted by the IPH MNE.
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The interlocutors concluded that there is space for closer cooperation and agreed to continue searching for opportunities for the enhancement of the work of the Network and all other initiatives related to public health that might be of interest for the Region.
On September 8 2021, Dr. Mira Dasic, Director of the SEEHN Secretariat, met with Dr. Jelena Borovinic-Bojovic, Minister of Health of Montenegro.
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The focus of the meeting was on the current cooperation, the potential for improvement in recognized areas, the planned projects in the upcoming period and how to strengthen and enhance the work of the Regional Health Development Centers (RHDC).
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The COVID -19 pandemic has made it critically clear how utterly important is solidarity and our collective responsibility to exit the exceptional circumstances we face today.
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Sustained efforts to ensure a coherent health security design and to strengthen the surveillance of emerging diseases is a regional necessity. By working together for a strong SEEHN, we can ensure that the SEE region is better prepared for future crises. This will contribute to achieve good health, well-being and prosperity in the countries of the SEE region.
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These principles are also set out in the SEEHN Joint Statement address for the forthcoming WHO EURO RC meeting on 13-14 September.
