Forty-ninth Regional Committee for Europe: Florence, 13 - 17 September 1999: upgrading the role of public health

REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR EUROPE Forty-ninth session, Florence, 1 3 – 17 Septem ber 1999 RESOLUTION W O R L D H E A L T H O R G A N IZ A T IO N R e g io n a l O ffic e fo r E u r o pe C o p e n h a g e n EUR/RC49/R9 16 September 1999 13629 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH U p g r a d in g t h e R o l e o f P u b l ic H e a l t h in t h e E u r o p e a n R e g io n The Regional Committee, Recognizing the importance o f public health as part o f HEALTH21 - the health for all policy framework for the European Region; Recognizing further the need for public health managers and other public health workers defined in the health for all policy framework to have integrity and a high professional standing, for effective coordination across sectors and institutions and for mobilization o f political and community support; Believing that public health is inherently multidisciplinary and needs to draw on a range of professional skills; Aware o f the key role that institutions o f public health education and training, and in particular schools o f public health, can play in contributing to a public health infrastructure and workforce able to implement the values and goals o f HEALTH21; 1. ENDORSES the principles and strategies for strengthening the public health function and public health infrastructure, training and research in the European Region as outlined in document EUR/RC49/10 and in accordance with HEALTH21; 2. URGES Member States: (a) to ensure that the main tasks and functions, infrastructure, training and research in public health meet the challenges, principles and strategies outlined in document EUR/RC49/10 and HEALTH21; (b) to give particular emphasis to a comprehensive programme for development o f human resources through basic, postgraduate and continuing education in public health for health personnel and other professions whose work has an impact on health, the priority being to ensure a strong workforce o f specialists in public health and provide for their training in schools o f public health or similar institutions; 3. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to strengthen the capacity o f the Regional Office to provide leadership and support for promoting the organization and practice o f public health throughout the European Region and to improve W HO’s communication and cooperation with other organizations and institutions active in this field; (b) to develop strategies, guidance and tools for public health systems and for capacity-building in public health; to promote the development o f schools o f public health and national institutes o f public health or similar institutions; to strengthen cooperation between public health researchers, clinical researchers and those engaged in fundamental research; and to help draw up models o f training and academic curricula based on the principles o f HEALTH21; (c) to support a mechanism whereby public health training institutions in the Region can establish a network which enables them to improve their communication and cooperation, especially on activities related to HEALTH21 targets; (d) to give practical effect to the possibilities whereby WHO can contribute to cooperation with the European Commission; (e) to report to the Regional Committee at regular intervals on the steps taken to implement this resolution. EUR/RC49/R9 p age 2