Sixty-first Regional Committee for Europe: Baku, 12–15 September 2011: resolution: strengthening public health capacities and services in Europe: a framework for action

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZAT ION REG IONAL OFF ICE FOR EUROPE Scherfigsvej 8, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Telephone: +45 39 17 17 17 Fax: +45 39 17 18 18 E-mail: rc@euro.who.int Web: http://www.euro.who.int/en/who-we-are/governance Regional Committee for Europe EUR/RC61/R2 Sixty-first session Baku, Azerbaijan, 12–15 September 2011 14 September 2011 112542 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Resolution Strengthening public health capacities and services in Europe: a framework for action The Regional Committee, Having considered the reports on Strengthening public health capacities and services in Europe: a framework for action; 1 Mindful of the shared health challenges described therein and in the document submitted at its sixtieth session on “Addressing key public health and health policy challenges in Europe: moving forwards in the quest for better health in the WHO European Region”; 2 Acknowledging the progress in health policy made through past initiatives, including Health for All, HEALTH21 and the Tallinn Charter: Health Systems for Health and Wealth; Recognizing the continuing need to renew the commitment to comprehensive and coherent health policies and to focus on public health policies, functions and structures, the further development of primary health care, and health promotion and disease prevention, as well as to strengthen European health systems and foster interregional collaboration; 1. ENDORSES the eight avenues identified in the report for strengthening public health capacities and services in Europe, as a basis for the Regional Office’s proposal to formulate a European action plan embedded in the vision of the Regional Director, including: (a) wide use of essential public health operations, where appropriate; 1 Documents EUR/RC61/10 and /Inf.Doc./1 2 Document EUR/RC60/13 EUR/RC61/R2 page 2 (b) strengthening regulatory frameworks for protecting and improving health; (c) improving health outcomes through health protection; (d) improving health outcomes through disease prevention; (e) improving health outcomes through health promotion; (f) assuring a competent public health workforce; (g) developing research and knowledge for policy and practice; and (h) organizational structures for public health services; 2. ENDORSES a further process of examining and developing the essential public health operations described in the reports as a basis for the Regional Office’s proposal to formulate a European action plan embedded in the vision of the Regional Director; 3. REQUESTS Member States3 to collaborate in the development of a European action plan, led by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, for strengthening of public health capacities and services; 4. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (a) to ensure that the framework for action is aligned with the strategies of WHO globally and with decisions made in the World Health Assembly; (b) to assess public health services and capacities and gaps in Member States with the WHO web-based assessment tool and to report back to them and the Regional Committee with conclusions and recommendations; (c) based on the outcomes of the above-mentioned assessments, to develop a European action plan for strengthening public health capacities and services in Europe, as part of the approach of strengthening health systems, through a participatory process involving Member States and partners; (d) to submit the European Action Plan to the sixty-second session of the Regional Committee for consideration, together with and under the umbrella of the new European health policy, Health 2020. 3 And, where applicable, regional economic integration organizations