EUPHA at the 71st session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe

EUPHA had the opportunity to deliver release statements at the 71st WHO Regional Committee for Europe meeting, held on 15-17 September, relating to several agenda items. In total, EUPHA led and endorsed 4 statements.

Relating to agenda item 3 ‘Response to the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned to date from the WHO European Region’:

• A EUPHA-Wemos joint statement and endorsed by 10 other non-state actors calls upon the Member States to ensure both temporary suspension of intellectual property rights and the sharing of know-how and technology for vaccine production, and calls upon the World Health Organization to ensure adequate leadership, management and resourcing of the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), as an important means of knowledge sharing. 

Joint statement co-written with EuroHealthNet and endorsed by 10 non-state actors, reaffirms our commitment to address health inequity, and call for an application of health equity as a fundamental performance indicator.

• A statement endorsed by all 25 non-state actors thanking the Regional Committee for Europe approving our (renewal of) accreditation as non-state actors. The statement highlights the importance of engaging with non-state actors such as non-governmental organizations, including representatives of citizens, patients, healthcare and public health professionals and this collaboration playing a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, European Programme of Work 2020-2025 and WHO’s general programme of work.

https://eurohealthnet.eu/sites/eurohealthnet.eu/files/210909%20-%20NSA%20Joint%20statement%20on%20PHC%20FINAL.pdf

Furthermore, our president Iveta Nagyova recorded a video statement, calling upon the Regional Committee to take note on the importance of behavioural insights and sciences for combatting COVID-19 and future health emergencies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjUtEOnq7uU