BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:PUBLISH PRODID:-//Telerik Inc.//Sitefinity CMS 15.2//EN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Romance Standard Time BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251002T030000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYHOUR=3;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=10 TZNAME:Romance Standard Time TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250301T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYHOUR=2;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:Romance Daylight Time TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Event highlightsFifth hearing on co-creating and co-owning EPW2 : &ldquo\;Health security and emergency preparedness&rdquo\;WHO/Europe hel d the fifth of 5 public health hearings to shape the second European Progr amme of Work (EPW2)\, the health compass for the WHO European Region for t he next 5 years. A total of 859 participants engaged in online discussions and took part in 7 breakout sessions. The consultative process represents the first time that a WHO regional office has developed a plan co-owned a nd co-authored by the people of its region.The event was co-hosted by Ms&n bsp\;Cristiana Salvi\, Regional Adviser for Risk Communication\, Community Engagement and Infodemic Management\; Dr \;Gundo Weiler\, Director\, Special Adviser Strategy\; and Dr \;Ihor Perehinets\, Regional Emergen cy Director.Plenary sessionsDuring the high-level introductory segment\, D r \;Hans Henri P. \;Kluge\, WHO Regional Director for Europe\, ope ned the hearing by describing his firsthand clinical experience in conflic t settings. He compared health security issues in warzones to the differen t threats faced by people in the WHO European Region\, and stressed his co re mission of leaving no one behind. Praising the inclusion of health in t he prioritization of security in the European Union (EU) Presidency agenda \, Dr \;Kluge also emphasized the impact of security concerns on publi c mental health.Dr \;Sandra Gallina\, Director General for Health and Food Safety at the European Commission\, underlined the importance of a co ordinated approach beyond the health sector\, referencing the upcoming lau nch of the EU prevention and preparedness response plan. Dr \;Gallina stressed the need for investment in intelligence data\, robust systems\, w ell trained teams and global partnerships. \; \; \; \;&nbs p\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;& nbsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;  \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&n bsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \ ; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&nb sp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;  \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&nbs p\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;& nbsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;  \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;His Excellency Ambassad or Kubanychbek Kasymovich Omuraliev\, Secretary General of the Organizatio n of Turkic States\, drew upon the solidarity demonstrated during the COVI D-19 pandemic\, expressing that the same solidarity should be leveraged to respond to new challenges. Referencing the Agreement of the Establishment of a Civil Protection Mechanism and the adoption of Tü\;rkiye&rsquo\; s Green Vision\, His Excellency Omuraliev outlined how the agreements prov ide a framework for ensuring that the Region is better equipped to meet th e challenges posed by current and future emergencies.Dr Ala Nemerenco\, Mi nister of Health of the Republic of Moldova\, outlined how the country&rsq uo\;s national health system had its resilience tested by a series of cris es\, but seized the opportunity to accelerate reforms\, strengthen resilie nce and reinforce commitment to universal health coverage. Reconfirming he r country&rsquo\;s commitment to a coordinated\, multisectoral approach in tegrating international health security frameworks\, Dr Nemenrenco stresse d the necessity of long-term\, system-wide preparedness.Dr \;Ihor Pere hinets echoed the importance of health security to the EPW2 framework\, st ressing its centrality as a prerequisite of sustainable development\, soci al cohesion\, and economic and political stability. Good health security\, which is coordinated across sectors\, means that health systems have the resilience to handle crises and grow stronger\, leading to healthier popul ations and more stable and equitable futures. Dr \;Perehinets added th at the Region has a solid foundation to build on\, with the recently endor sed strategy and action plan for health emergencies\, Preparedness \;2 .0.Mr \;Robb Butler\, WHO/Europe&rsquo\;s Director for Communicable Di seases\, Environment and Health\, highlighted the need for a paradigm shif t and the move to a broader concept of health security that considers emer ging and future threats as well as persistent threats\, such as the rise o f multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and the resurgence of measles.A series of lightning talks were presented by Ms \;Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen\, Regional Director for Europe of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies\; Dr \;Taha Alexandersson\, Director of Eme rgency Preparedness and Civil Defence at the Swedish National Board of Hea lth and Welfare\; Dr Raed Arafat\, Secretary of State of the Department fo r Emergency Situations at the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs\; Prof essor David Salisbury\, Chair of the Global Commission and European Region al Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication\; Dr Teti ana Deshko\, Director of International Programmes at Alliance for Public H ealth\, Ukraine\; and Ms \;Siâ\;n Crucefix\, Co-Chair of the Lanc et Counter-misinformation Working Group.A key theme throughout these inter ventions was the urgent need to enhance coordination and collaboration for health security at every level\, across all sectors and the whole of soci ety. Speakers highlighting the vital importance of collective preparedness to safeguard everyone from the next health emergency.Breakout room discus sionsParticipants split into 7 breakout groups for in-depth discussion of the issues addressed in the plenary session.Breakout room \;1 focused on &ldquo\;Preparing for the next pandemic&rdquo\;. This discussion emphas ized the importance of preparedness to make the response to the next pande mic more effective\, highlighting the need for countries to strengthen the ir International Health Regulations (2005) core capacities and address vac cine scepticism. There was a strong call for investing in a scalable\, fle xible workforce\, including nonmedical professionals\, and tailoring conte mporary legal frameworks to current health issues. The discussion also str essed the significance of surveillance for early detection and risk assess ment\, advocating for a One Health approach. \; \;Breakout room&nb sp\;2 centred on the theme &ldquo\;Resilience matters: rethinking health s ervices in the face of escalating multiple hazards&rdquo\;. Participants a greed that health systems depend not only on infrastructure and investment \, but also on the well-being of the health workforce\, which is currently under more pressure due to worker shortages and increasing needs from age ing populations. There was general agreement that mental health services a re central to emergency preparedness and response activities.Breakout room  \;3 discussed &ldquo\;Communities at the core: strengthening resilien ce amid vulnerabilities and infodemics&rdquo\;. Participants agreed that c ommunity partnership\, central to Preparedness \;2.0\, builds trust an d increases public acceptance of protective measures. Engaging trusted inf luencers &ndash\; such as religious leaders\, health professionals\, youth and volunteers &ndash\; is key to understanding public needs\, delivering trusted health advice\, tackling infodemics\, and ultimately enhancing he alth protection and emergency control. Establishing relationships and empo wering communities is vital for resilience and requires investment in co-c reation strategies\; these should occur before crises hit as support is ha rder to gain during responses. Mapping communities\, their influencers and assets\; using insights to plan targeted interventions\; and building hea lth literacy and resilience to mis- and disinformation form the foundation of strong emergency preparedness.Breakout room \;4 focused on &ldquo\ ;Reimagining health security in the face of escalating natural and human-m ade hazards&rdquo\;. The group found that climate change poses profound ri sks to health security through both direct\, acute effects caused by extre me events such as heatwaves and floods\, and slow-onset effects such as wa ter scarcity\, new emerging diseases and displacement. Participants agreed that to build climate resilience in the Region\, our capacities need to a dapt to the new challenges and a wide range of different sectors need to b e engaged from the areas of human and animal health\, humanitarian respons e\, urban planning\, infrastructure\, environment\, and communication.&nbs p\;Breakout room \;5 looked at the theme &ldquo\;Some suffer more: red ucing and addressing vulnerabilities&rdquo\;. Participants agreed that a d ual-track approach is needed to ensure no one is left behind. Preventative measures require investment\, and better collaboration is key to ensuring that stakeholders understand their roles. In some countries\, the health and social sectors work in silos\, which can lead to legal grey zones and confusion about responsibility. Vulnerable groups must be identified in ad vance to ensure participation and health literacy. Data-driven approaches are key to identifying those at higher risk\, and communities play a valua ble role by leveraging their local knowledge. Using this knowledge to fore cast scenarios ensures that community vulnerabilities are mainstreamed int o emergency plans.  \;Breakout room \;6 discussed &ldquo\;Old and new threats to health security: the changing patterns and priorities of co mmunicable diseases&rdquo\;. There was a consensus on the unfinished agend a of integrating the control of vaccine-preventable diseases\, antimicrobi al resistance\, tuberculosis\, HIV\, mental health and noncommunicable dis eases (especially among the most vulnerable) into health security strategi es for better resilience. Innovation was a further theme. New technologies \, tools and modalities for collaboration will be increasingly important\, but innovation is not only about new developments &ndash\; it is also abo ut expanding existing tools across programme areas. \;Breakout room&nb sp\;7 focused on &ldquo\;Withering attention: how to sustain momentum\, in vestment and collaboration for health security&rdquo\;. Participants empha sized the need to prioritize building trust by leveraging risk communicati on\, community engagement and infodemic management to empower communities and civil society to lead health security initiatives. Promoting civil&nda sh\;military collaboration to ensure the integration of health security an d defence strategies was also mentioned. The group noted that fostering cr oss-border and multisectoral collaboration to address interconnected healt h challenges facing humans\, animals and the environment by using the One Health approach is also essential to sustain momentum. \;Event noticeH ealth is a key pillar of our society. Recent events have shown that when h ealth security is compromised\, this affects the very foundations of every aspect of our lives\, with long-lasting repercussions. In the WHO Europea n Region\, we are experiencing a permacrisis. Increasing pandemic risks\, increasingly drug-resistant infectious diseases and both natural and human -made hazards\, including climate-related ones and conflicts\, mean that u rgent and coordinated action must be taken.Emergency risks are compounded by antimicrobial resistance\; drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) and persist ent epidemics of TB\; HIV\; hepatitis\; declining immunization coverage ra tes\; outbreaks of polio\, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases\ ; noncommunicable diseases\; and mental health\, fueled by digital misinfo rmation and disinformation.There is unprecedented willingness to address t hese issues among the 53 Member States of the Region. The significance and urgency was underlined by the prioritization of health security during th e 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.Health security ex tends beyond the health sector to all essential components of population s ecurity and must be integrated into national security frameworks to build resilience against interconnected threats through coordination across sect ors\, societies and borders. \;WHO/Europe is organizing an external he aring on health security to bring together Member States\, partners and ci vil society representatives.The hearing aims to:mobilize a wide range of s takeholders for health security and emergency preparedness action\;gather actionable ideas to inform the development of the second European Programm e of Work 2026&ndash\;2030 (EPW2)\; andfoster partnerships to drive health security action across the Region.Keynote speakers include:His Excellency Ambassador Kubanychbek Kasymovich Omuraliev\, Secretary General\, Organiz ation of Turkic States\;Sandra Gallina\, Director General for Health and F ood Safety\, European Commission\;Dr. Ala Nemerenco\, Minister of Health o f the Republic of Moldova\;Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge\, WHO Regional Director for Europe\;Dr Taha Alexandersson\, Director\, Emergency Preparedness and Civil Defence\, National Board of Health and Welfare\, Sweden\;Dr Raed Ara fat\, Secretary of State\, Head of the Department for Emergency Situations \, Ministry of Internal Affairs\, Romania\;Birgitte Bischoff-Ebbesen\, Reg ional Director\, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent So cieties (IFRC)\;Professor David Salisbury\, Chair\, Global and European Re gional Commissions for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication\; Dr Tetiana Deshko\, Director\, International Programs at Alliance for Public Health\, Ukraine\; andMs Siâ\;n Crucefix\, Communications Manager an d co-chair of the Lancet Counter-Misinformation Working Group\, The Lancet Group.Register now and help shape the future of health in Europe and cent ral Asia.WHO/ Europe&rsquo\;s work on health security In the Region\, imme diate\, decisive and coordinated action is crucial to bolstering preparedn ess and resilience at every level.WHO is leading the way through the Healt h Emergency Preparedness\, Response and Resilience (HEPR) framework\, alon g with the transformative regional strategy and action plan on health emer gency preparedness\, response and resilience in the WHO European Region (P reparedness 2.0) for 2024&ndash\;2029. Building on the foundations of the International Health Regulations (2005)\, these frameworks are designed to equip governments and communities to face an increasingly uncertain futur e with strength and unity. Other strategies for disease control and elimin ation\, such as the European Immunization Agenda 2030 and regional action plans for TB\, HIV and AMR\, provide relevant frameworks.Preparedness 2.0 emphasizes that health security must be a priority for governance and inve stment\, extending beyond the health sector to address risks at the human\ , animal and environmental health interface. By promoting whole-of-governm ent and whole-of-society\, all-hazards\, One Health and dual-track approac hes\, the strategy and action plan ensures that health systems are inclusi ve\, responsive and firmly anchored in the needs of local communities.Join the conversation for a healthier\, safer WHO European Region!In today&rsq uo\;s ever-changing world\, our Region faces challenges &ndash\; from emer ging pandemics and severe infectious diseases to natural and human-made ha zards &ndash\; that affect us all. Yet amid these pressing issues\, there& rsquo\;s a growing\, unprecedented spirit of collaboration among the 53 Me mber States of the Region.We invite you to a public hearing where experts\ , policy-makers\, partners and community voices will come together to disc uss how we can tackle these challenges head-on. This is your opportunity t o have your say on critical topics such as:preparing for the next pandemic \;resilience matters &ndash\; rethinking health services in the face of es calating multiple hazards\;communities at the core &ndash\; strengthening resilience amid vulnerabilities and infodemics\;reimagining health securit y in the face of escalating natural and human-made hazards\;some suffer mo re &ndash\; reducing and addressing vulnerabilities\;  \;old and new t hreats to health security &ndash\; the changing patterns and priorities of communicable diseases\; andwithering attention &ndash\; how to sustain mo mentum\, investment and collaboration for health security.WHO/Europe is or ganizing a series of hearings as part of the development process for the E PW2. These hearings provide a platform for Member States\, civil society r epresentatives and other partners to share insights\, priorities and recom mendations for shaping a unified health agenda for the Region up to 2030 a nd beyond.The feedback gathered through these sessions will inform the EPW 2\, ensuring it addresses key health challenges and promotes equity and re silience. The hearings are conducted online\, enabling broad participation and fostering collaboration across diverse stakeholders. Join the convers ation for a healthier\, safer WHO European Region and sign up for the hear ings.For further information\, please contact: epw2@who.int. DTEND:20250307T120000Z DTSTAMP:20260409T182102Z DTSTART:20250307T090000Z LOCATION: SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Health security and emergency preparedness: building a safe and sec ure WHO European Region UID:RFCALITEM639113556627026475 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Event highlights

Fifth heari ng on co-creating and co-owning EPW2: &ldquo\;Health security and emergenc y preparedness&rdquo\;

WHO/Europe held the fifth of 5 public health hearings to shape the second European Programme of Work (EPW2)\, the heal th compass for the WHO European Region for the next 5 years. A total of 85 9 participants engaged in online discussions and took part in 7 breakout s essions. The consultative process represents the first time that a WHO reg ional office has developed a plan co-owned and co-authored by the people o f its region.

The event was co-hosted by Ms \;Cristiana Salvi\, Regional Adviser for Risk Communication\, Community Engagement and Infodem ic Management\; Dr \;Gundo Weiler\, Director\, Special Adviser Strateg y\; and Dr \;Ihor Perehinets\, Regional Emergency Director.

Ple nary sessions

During the high-level introductory segment\, Dr \ ;Hans Henri P. \;Kluge\, WHO Regional Director for Europe\, opened the hearing by describing his firsthand clinical experience in conflict setti ngs. He compared health security issues in warzones to the different threa ts faced by people in the WHO European Region\, and stressed his core miss ion of leaving no one behind. Praising the inclusion of health in the prio ritization of security in the European Union (EU) Presidency agenda\, Dr&n bsp\;Kluge also emphasized the impact of security concerns on public menta l health.

Dr \;Sandra Gallina\, Director General for Health and Food Safety at the European Commission\, underlined the importance of a co ordinated approach beyond the health sector\, referencing the upcoming lau nch of the EU prevention and preparedness response plan. Dr \;Gallina stressed the need for investment in intelligence data\, robust systems\, w ell trained teams and global partnerships. \; \; \; \;&nbs p\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;& nbsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;  \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&n bsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \ ; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&nb sp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;  \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;&nbs p\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;& nbsp\; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;  \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;

His Excellency A mbassador Kubanychbek Kasymovich Omuraliev\, Secretary General of the Orga nization of Turkic States\, drew upon the solidarity demonstrated during t he COVID-19 pandemic\, expressing that the same solidarity should be lever aged to respond to new challenges. Referencing the Agreement of the Establ ishment of a Civil Protection Mechanism and the adoption of Tü\;rkiye& rsquo\;s Green Vision\, His Excellency Omuraliev outlined how the agreemen ts provide a framework for ensuring that the Region is better equipped to meet the challenges posed by current and future emergencies.

Dr Ala Nemerenco\, Minister of Health of the Republic of Moldova\, outlined how t he country&rsquo\;s national health system had its resilience tested by a series of crises\, but seized the opportunity to accelerate reforms\, stre ngthen resilience and reinforce commitment to universal health coverage. R econfirming her country&rsquo\;s commitment to a coordinated\, multisector al approach integrating international health security frameworks\, Dr Neme nrenco stressed the necessity of long-term\, system-wide preparedness.

Dr \;Ihor Perehinets echoed the importance of health security to th e EPW2 framework\, stressing its centrality as a prerequisite of sustainab le development\, social cohesion\, and economic and political stability. G ood health security\, which is coordinated across sectors\, means that hea lth systems have the resilience to handle crises and grow stronger\, leadi ng to healthier populations and more stable and equitable futures. Dr  \;Perehinets added that the Region has a solid foundation to build on\, wi th the recently endorsed strategy and action plan for health emergencies\, Preparedness \;2.0.

Mr \;Robb Butler\, WHO/Europe&rsquo\;s Director for Communicable Diseases\, Environment and Health\, highlighted the need for a paradigm shift and the move to a broader concept of health security that considers emerging and future threats as well as persistent threats\, such as the rise of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and the res urgence of measles.

A series of lightning talks were presented by Ms  \;Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen\, Regional Director for Europe of the Int ernational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies\; Dr \;T aha Alexandersson\, Director of Emergency Preparedness and Civil Defence a t the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare\; Dr Raed Arafat\, Secr etary of State of the Department for Emergency Situations at the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs\; Professor David Salisbury\, Chair of the Gl obal Commission and European Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication\; Dr Tetiana Deshko\, Director of International Programmes at Alliance for Public Health\, Ukraine\; and Ms \;Siâ \;n Crucefix\, Co-Chair of the Lancet Counter-misinformation Working Group .

A key theme throughout these interventions was the urgent need to enhance coordination and collaboration for health security at every level\ , across all sectors and the whole of society. Speakers highlighting the v ital importance of collective preparedness to safeguard everyone from the next health emergency.

Breakout room discussions

Participant s split into 7 breakout groups for in-depth discussion of the issues addre ssed in the plenary session.

Breakout room \;1 focused on &ldquo \;Preparing for the next pandemic&rdquo\;. This discussion emphasized the importance of preparedness to make the response to the next pandemic more effective\, highlighting the need for countries to strengthen their Intern ational Health Regulations (2005) core capacities and address vaccine scep ticism. There was a strong call for investing in a scalable\, flexible wor kforce\, including nonmedical professionals\, and tailoring contemporary l egal frameworks to current health issues. The discussion also stressed the significance of surveillance for early detection and risk assessment\, ad vocating for a One Health approach. \; \;

Breakout room  \;2 centred on the theme &ldquo\;Resilience matters: rethinking health ser vices in the face of escalating multiple hazards&rdquo\;. Participants agr eed that health systems depend not only on infrastructure and investment\, but also on the well-being of the health workforce\, which is currently u nder more pressure due to worker shortages and increasing needs from agein g populations. There was general agreement that mental health services are central to emergency preparedness and response activities.

Breakout room \;3 discussed &ldquo\;Communities at the core: strengthening res ilience amid vulnerabilities and infodemics&rdquo\;. Participants agreed t hat community partnership\, central to Preparedness \;2.0\, builds tru st and increases public acceptance of protective measures. Engaging truste d influencers &ndash\; such as religious leaders\, health professionals\, youth and volunteers &ndash\; is key to understanding public needs\, deliv ering trusted health advice\, tackling infodemics\, and ultimately enhanci ng health protection and emergency control. Establishing relationships and empowering communities is vital for resilience and requires investment in co-creation strategies\; these should occur before crises hit as support is harder to gain during responses. Mapping communities\, their influencer s and assets\; using insights to plan targeted interventions\; and buildin g health literacy and resilience to mis- and disinformation form the found ation of strong emergency preparedness.

Breakout room \;4 focuse d on &ldquo\;Reimagining health security in the face of escalating natural and human-made hazards&rdquo\;. The group found that climate change poses profound risks to health security through both direct\, acute effects cau sed by extreme events such as heatwaves and floods\, and slow-onset effect s such as water scarcity\, new emerging diseases and displacement. Partici pants agreed that to build climate resilience in the Region\, our capaciti es need to adapt to the new challenges and a wide range of different secto rs need to be engaged from the areas of human and animal health\, humanita rian response\, urban planning\, infrastructure\, environment\, and commun ication. \;

Breakout room \;5 looked at the theme &ldquo\;So me suffer more: reducing and addressing vulnerabilities&rdquo\;. Participa nts agreed that a dual-track approach is needed to ensure no one is left b ehind. Preventative measures require investment\, and better collaboration is key to ensuring that stakeholders understand their roles. In some coun tries\, the health and social sectors work in silos\, which can lead to le gal grey zones and confusion about responsibility. Vulnerable groups must be identified in advance to ensure participation and health literacy. Data -driven approaches are key to identifying those at higher risk\, and commu nities play a valuable role by leveraging their local knowledge. Using thi s knowledge to forecast scenarios ensures that community vulnerabilities a re mainstreamed into emergency plans.  \;

Breakout room \;6 discussed &ldquo\;Old and new threats to health security: the changing pat terns and priorities of communicable diseases&rdquo\;. There was a consens us on the unfinished agenda of integrating the control of vaccine-preventa ble diseases\, antimicrobial resistance\, tuberculosis\, HIV\, mental heal th and noncommunicable diseases (especially among the most vulnerable) int o health security strategies for better resilience. Innovation was a furth er theme. New technologies\, tools and modalities for collaboration will b e increasingly important\, but innovation is not only about new developmen ts &ndash\; it is also about expanding existing tools across programme are as. \;

Breakout room \;7 focused on &ldquo\;Withering attent ion: how to sustain momentum\, investment and collaboration for health sec urity&rdquo\;. Participants emphasized the need to prioritize building tru st by leveraging risk communication\, community engagement and infodemic m anagement to empower communities and civil society to lead health security initiatives. Promoting civil&ndash\;military collaboration to ensure the integration of health security and defence strategies was also mentioned. The group noted that fostering cross-border and multisectoral collaboratio n to address interconnected health challenges facing humans\, animals and the environment by using the One Health approach is also essential to sust ain momentum. \;

Event notice

Health is a key pillar of our society. Recent events have shown that when health security is compromised\, this affects the very foundations of every aspe ct of our lives\, with long-lasting repercussions. In the WHO European Reg ion\, we are experiencing a permacrisis. Increasing pandemic risks\, incre asingly drug-resistant infectious diseases and both natural and human-made hazards\, including climate-related ones and conflicts\, mean that urgent and coordinated action must be taken.

Emergency risks are compounde d by antimicrobial resistance\; drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) and persi stent epidemics of TB\; HIV\; hepatitis\; declining immunization coverage rates\; outbreaks of polio\, measles and other vaccine-preventable disease s\; noncommunicable diseases\; and mental health\, fueled by digital misin formation and disinformation.

There is unprecedented willingness to address these issues among the 53 Member States of the Region. The signifi cance and urgency was underlined by the prioritization of health security during the 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europ e.

Health security extends beyond the health sector to all essential components of population security and must be integrated into national se curity frameworks to build resilience against interconnected threats throu gh coordination across sectors\, societies and borders. \;

WHO/E urope is organizing an external hearing on health security to bring togeth er Member States\, partners and civil society representatives.

The h earing aims to:

Keynote speakers include:

Register now and help shape the future of health in Europe and central Asia.

WHO/ E urope&rsquo\;s work on health security

In the Region\, immediate\, decisive and coordinated action is crucial to bolstering preparedness and resilience at every level.

WHO is leading the way through the Healt h Emergency Preparedness\, Response and Resilience (HEPR) framework\, alon g with the transformative regional strategy and action plan on health emer gency preparedness\, response and resilience in the WHO European Region (P reparedness 2.0) for 2024&ndash\;2029. Building on the foundations of the International Health Regulations (2005)\, these frameworks are designed to equip governments and communities to face an increasingly uncertain futur e with strength and unity. Other strategies for disease control and elimin ation\, such as the European Immunization Agenda 2030 and regional action plans for TB\, HIV and AMR\, provide relevant frameworks.

Preparedne ss 2.0 emphasizes that health security must be a priority for governance a nd investment\, extending beyond the health sector to address risks at the human\, animal and environmental health interface. By promoting whole-of- government and whole-of-society\, all-hazards\, One Health and dual-track approaches\, the strategy and action plan ensures that health systems are inclusive\, responsive and firmly anchored in the needs of local communiti es.

Join the conversation for a healthier\, safer WHO European Regi on!

In today&rsquo\;s ever-changing world\, our Region faces challe nges &ndash\; from emerging pandemics and severe infectious diseases to na tural and human-made hazards &ndash\; that affect us all. Yet amid these p ressing issues\, there&rsquo\;s a growing\, unprecedented spirit of collab oration among the 53 Member States of the Region.

We invite you to a public hearing where experts\, policy-makers\, partners and community voi ces will come together to discuss how we can tackle these challenges head- on. This is your opportunity to have your say on critical topics such as:< /p>

WHO/Europe is organizing a series of hearings as part o f the development process for the EPW2. These hearings provide a platform for Member States\, civil society representatives and other partners to sh are insights\, priorities and recommendations for shaping a unified health agenda for the Region up to 2030 and beyond.

The feedback gathered through these sessions will inform the EPW2\, ensuring it addresses key he alth challenges and promotes equity and resilience. The hearings are condu cted online\, enabling broad participation and fostering collaboration acr oss diverse stakeholders. Join the conversation for a healthier\, safer WH O European Region and sign up for the hearings.

For further information\, please contact: ep w2@who.int.


END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR