Struga, Republic of North Macedonia – 22 September 2026
The South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) today opened a three-day regional workshop dedicated to strengthening the advocacy and communication capacities of Regional Health Development Centres (RHDCs) across the SEEHN Member States.
The workshop, “Amplify the RHDCs Voice: Strengthening Advocacy and Awareness Capacities for Public Health Impact in South-Eastern Europe Health Network Member States”, is taking place from 22–24 September 2026 at Hotel Biser in Struga. The programme is developed with the support of the East European Institute for Reproductive Health which are hosting the SEEHN RHDC on the same topic, and is co-financed by the Central European Initiative (CEI).
The meeting brought together Directors of SEEHN RHDCs, along with accompanying other leading public health experts from SEEHN Member States.
The opening remarks were given by Dr. Marija Andonovska, Director of the Institute of Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia, Ms. Ivana Pejovic, Deputy Secretary General of the CEI and Dr. Tatiana Păduraru, Director of the SEEHN Secretariat. The stakeholders commended the collaborative effort, emphasizing the importance of keeping this issue central to regional cooperation and capacity-building throughout the SEEHN network.
The workshop responds to the need for RHDC leaders and focal points to complement their technical expertise with practical skills in advocacy, strategic communication, stakeholder engagement and policy influence.
Over three days, participants will work through the full advocacy process — from identifying a public health problem and defining an advocacy objective, to understanding the policy environment, mapping and prioritizing stakeholders, developing advocacy strategies and messages, making effective advocacy asks, and translating strategies into action.
For SEEHN, strengthening RHDC advocacy capacity is part of a broader effort to ensure that the Network’s technical expertise is translated into greater policy influence, stronger partnerships and more visible regional health cooperation.
The RHDCs represent an important technical asset within SEEHN. By strengthening their ability to communicate evidence, engage decision-makers and build effective partnerships, the Network aims to create a stronger collective voice for public health across South-Eastern Europe.
