Sixty-seventh Regional Committee for Europe: Budapest, 11–14 September 2017: technical briefing on ensuring positive outcomes for health at the country level

W O R L D H E A L T H O R G A N I Z A T I O N R E G I O N A L O F F I C E F O R E U R O P E UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Telephone: +45 45 33 70 00 Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: eugovernance@who.int Web: http://www.euro.who.int/en/who-we-are/governance Regional Committee for Europe EUR/RC67/TD/2 67th session Budapest, Hungary, 11–14 September 2017 8 September 2017 170722 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Technical briefing on ensuring positive outcomes for health at the country level Tuesday, 12 September 2017 13:00–14:20, Bartók Background 1. At the first session of the Twenty-third Standing Committee of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in September 2015, Member States requested that a technical briefing be organized for the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC66) to promote understanding of the work of the Regional Office carried out at the country level. The briefing would also report on contributions made by the WHO country offices and summarize the added value of WHO’s work at the country level. 2. The RC66 technical briefing, entitled Let’s talk country: the added value of WHO, gave an overview of the Regional Office’s work at the country level, with examples of both country-specific work and intercountry collaboration. The positive feedback received from Member States on the RC66 briefing laid the groundwork for the RC67 technical briefing. Objectives 3. The objectives of this technical briefing are: • to demonstrate how the WHO Regional Office for Europe supports Member States to translate technical advice and evidence-based policies at the country level through interventions that are coordinated, managed or led by a WHO country presence; • to demonstrate how the Regional Office supports Member States without a WHO country presence; and • to further clarify the added value of a country-level presence in ensuring health improvements in different settings and conditions in Member States throughout the European Region. EUR/RC67/TD/2 page 2 Format of the session 4. This technical briefing will feature case studies, which will be presented by country- level representatives. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion comprising heads of WHO country offices. 5. The five case studies selected for this briefing are examples of the following public health scenarios: • an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease; • assistance provided by a country office on a politically sensitive issue involving a noncommunicable disease; • an issue involving a communicable disease; • assistance provided during a health emergency; and • support on health reform involving universal health coverage and health systems financing in a Member State without a country office. 6. Following the presentations of the five case studies, the facilitators will invite comments from the respective heads of country offices, who will report on the opportunities and the challenges they faced. 7. The facilitators will moderate comments and questions from the audience using key talking points to guide the discussion. 8. In closing, the facilitators will highlight the added value for Member States raised during the presentations and panel discussion, while also pointing out remaining challenges and gaps and possible future directions for more effective outreach at the country level. Background papers Building resilience: a key pillar of Health 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goals – examples from the WHO Small Countries Initiative. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2017 (http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/abstracts/building-resilience-a-key- pillar-of-health-2020-and-the-sustainable-development-goals-examples-from-the-who-small- countries-initiative-2017). Country performance in the WHO European Region (document EUR/RC67/12; http://www.euro.who.int/en/about-us/governance/regional-committee-for-europe/67th- session/documentation/working-documents). How small countries are improving health using the life-course approach. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2017 (http://www.euro.who.int/en/about-us/networks/small- countries-initiative/how-small-countries-are-improving-health-using-the-life-course- approach-2017). = = =