News

Alcohol and pregnancy on the agenda at the National Public Health Conference in France 11-07-2017

Professionals working in the health, social and educational sectors of public health in France met in Paris for the National Public Health Conference on 30 May to 1 June 2017. The newly established Santé publique France, which now serves as the national public health agency, organized the event.

Parliament in Estonia approves legislation taxing soft drinks 23-06-2017

The Estonian Parliament has approved legislation taxing soft drinks to reduce sugar consumption, improve health and raise revenue. This initiative is based on the strong and growing international evidence that this measure is effective in settings where soft drink consumption is a significant contributor to sugar and energy intake. The decision was also informed by the joint work of WHO/Europe and the Ministry of Social Affairs to review the evidence and model policy options within the Estonian context.

World Health Assembly Day 8: progress on addressing noncommunicable diseases in focus 31-05-2017

Delegates endorsed an updated set of policy options and interventions to help countries meet global targets to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It places a particular focus on measures to reduce people’s exposure to factors that increase the risk of developing NCDs. These include taxing tobacco and sugar-sweetened beverages, banning tobacco advertising and reformulating food products to reduce salt content.

World Health Assembly Day 1: outgoing Director-General Chan says “reducing inequalities” should guide future health work 23-05-2017

Some 3500 delegates from WHO’s 194 Member States – including a large proportion of the world’s health ministers – are attending the Seventieth World Health Assembly, which ends on 31 May. They are debating ways to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on building better systems for health.

Measuring primary health care performance: what’s new? 20-04-2017

In their pursuing to meet global commitments, countries of the WHO European Region are renewing their commitment to primary health care (PHC) as a means of improving responsiveness and bringing cost-effective health services closer to individuals, their families and communities.

Strengthening countries’ pharmaceutical systems: a year in review 17-03-2017

The WHO Regional Office for Europe supports Member States in providing people with sustainable access to essential and affordable quality medicines and medical products.

Estonia tackles obesity with tax on sugar-sweetened beverages 09-12-2016

Estonia has unveiled plans to tackle obesity by reducing sugar consumption, starting with a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages that is set to come into force in 2018. The initiative is expected to raise 24 million euros in revenue each year, which is predicted to lead to lower intakes of free sugar and energy and in turn contribute to improvements in obesity and dental health.

Integrated environment and health impact assessment in Estonia: the tools of the trade 11-11-2016

Powerful tools for assessing the health impact of policies and projects are becoming widely available. Multi-pathways models, spatial structures, geographical and temporal patterns of the environment-health nexus can nowadays be analysed at various levels of detail withthe help of freely available  online resources and software packages.

Strengthening primary care in the Baltic countries 11-11-2016

Member States in the WHO European Region and around the world are challenged with managing the growing double burden of disease, longer life expectancies, and persistent but also re-emerging communicable diseases.

Cities as entry points in prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) 10-10-2016

With NCDs accounting for more than 80% of the total deaths in the Baltic Sea Region, the successful experiences of tackling NCDs in three cities of the region provided valuable learning at the 19th European Health Forum Gastein on Wednesday, 28 September 2016.

New course builds “soft skills” for greater health equity and well-being in policy 01-07-2016

On 8–10 June 2016, WHO/Europe held the first "flagship" course on Equity in Health in All Policies (eHiAP). The course is designed to build capacity in the "soft skills" needed to bridge policies and sectors to ensure greater health equity and well-being. The soft skills required for policy implementation are agenda-setting, stakeholder analysis and negotiating with a wide range of policy-makers. The participants included individuals from the Nordic and Baltic countries who work at national, regional and local levels to shape and implement policies to improve health outcomes.

Education of health workers on vaccine safety and contraindications against vaccination in 7 countries 16-06-2016

WHO/Europe conducted a training of trainers on vaccine safety and contraindications against vaccination on 24–26 May 2016 for national immunization programme managers and leading clinicians from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

WHO conducts infectious substances shipping training for national influenza centres from 19 countries 15-06-2016

24 specialists from 19 countries achieved certification after attending WHO's infectious substances shippers training (ISST) in Tbilisi, Georgia on 2–4 May 2016.

Health institutions in Estonia raise awareness about diabetes on World Health Day 2016 03-05-2016

To mark World Health Day 2016, the WHO Country Office in Estonia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs, developed a press release on diabetes, which was shared with local and national media. The aim of this press release was to raise awareness about diabetes and to increase knowledge about risk factors, prevention and timely detection of this disease.

WHO collaborating centre strengthens laboratory capabilities in national influenza centres 01-04-2016

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Francis Crick Institute (London, United Kingdom) in collaboration with WHO/Europe organized practical training for virologists from 2 national influenza centres (NICs) in 2015; specialists from a third NIC attended meetings at the WHO CC.

Antibiotic awareness drives digital conversation in European countries 16-03-2016

The use of social and other digital media – Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, text messages, video and websites – for health messaging is growing rapidly in the WHO European Region. All 19 of the non-EU countries that participated in the first World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) in 2015 used digital media to raise awareness about antibiotic resistance. This marks a tremendous change from a couple of years earlier, when only around 10% of these countries used digital media to promote campaigns.

E-health in practice 10-03-2016

From medical monitoring for nomadic reindeer herders, to education and training with multilingual, virtual, simulated patients, technology is increasingly being used to deliver and advance health services in the WHO European Region. A new report provides an overview of the developments and benefits of using e-health and includes 29 case examples from across the Region.

WHO expert meeting gathers tailored policy advice from past health ministers on large-scale health system reforms 01-02-2016

In a pioneering effort to harvest actionable insights and expertise for large-scale health system transformation, WHO/Europe, the Deusto Business School of Spain and the Centre for Public Policy and Health of Durham University jointly gathered over 25 high-level past policy- and decision-makers in health systems in Madrid, Spain on 17–18 December 2015.

Policy dialogue on home visitation for child injury and maltreatment prevention in Estonia 29-10-2015

On 27 October 2015 in Tallinn, Estonia, 20 participants from the health, social and justice sectors and civil society took part in a policy dialogue on the potential benefits of using home visitation in the country to prevent childhood injury and violence.

National stakeholders and WHO experts agree on steps for Estonia to join COSI 29-09-2015

On 23 September 2015, the WHO Country Office, Estonia organized in collaboration with WHO/Europe an open discussion with several Estonian stakeholders to talk about further steps for the country to join the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI).

National stakeholders and WHO experts discuss use of WHO/Europe nutrient profile model in Estonia 28-09-2015

On 24 September 2015, the WHO Country Office in Estonia organized in collaboration with WHO/Europe an open discussion with several Estonian stakeholders to discuss possible adaptations and adjustments for the use of the WHO/Europe nutrient profile model in Estonia.

Moldovan study visit to Estonia to learn the hospital sector reform 23-07-2015

A high-level delegation from the Republic of Moldova representing members of Parliament, the Government, hospitals and the state medical university visited Estonia on 20–23 July 2015 to learn about the Estonian experience in strengthening the hospital sector.

Better prepared for health emergencies in Central Europe 08-07-2015

50 health sector officials from 10 central European countries convened for a workshop on risk communications in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, during the first week of July 2015.

World Health Day 2015: countries across Europe promote food safety 20-05-2015

World Health Day 2015 was an opportunity to recognize the important food safety role of all involved in food production, and to strengthen collaboration and coordination between these different areas to prevent, detect and respond to foodborne diseases.

Estonia takes steps to strengthen health system to address chronic diseases 11-05-2015

Estonia is making a series of concerted efforts to strengthen the health system response to reduce the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their effects on communities. In a conference held in Tallinn in March, participants discussed health system barriers and opportunities for improving NCD outcomes in the country.

Assessment of barriers and opportunities to improve NCD outcomes in Estonia 13-11-2014

A week-long WHO/Europe assessment of Estonia’s response to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) conducted in September 2014 looked for ways in which the Government can reduce the burden of these diseases and further improve their treatment and management. 

MDR-TB prevention and control in eastern Europe addressed at World Conference on Lung Health 04-11-2014

International public health experts and TB specialists reviewed the progress and challenges of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) prevention and control in eastern Europe at a WHO-led workshop at the 45th World Conference on Lung Health in Barcelona, Spain on 29 October 2014.

WHO recommends steps to improve HIV/AIDS control in Estonia 20-10-2014

Estonia is among 5 European Union/European Economic Area countries with the highest rates of HIV– 24.6 per 100 000 populations in 2013. While the number of new HIV cases has been decreasing in Estonia since 2001, more needs to be done to address shortcomings in HIV/AIDS surveillance, treatment and care in order to halt the epidemic. 

International Health Regulations in practice 13-10-2014

On 22–26 September 2014, national focal points for the International Health Regulations (IHR), representatives of ministries of health and other government agencies such as emergency departments, food safety authorities, and customs, met for IHR training in Vihula, Estonia. 

Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) in eastern Europe and central Asia 11-07-2014

In line with The Consolidated Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Multidrug- and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the WHO European Region, 2011–2015, WHO/Europe together with TDR has been leading the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) in eastern Europe and Central Asia in collaboration with MSF, Union, KNCV and CDC. The project aims to build the capacity of TB programmes to perform operational research in order to inform policy and practice and improve TB control. This training course comprises three workshops, inter-workshop mentorship and support by international experts, and an operational research project led by the participant. 

Estonia hosts first EVIPNet Europe country workshop to enhance evidence-informed policy-making 07-05-2014

To foster country capacity in using the best available evidence in policy-making, Estonia hosted the first WHO Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe country capacity building workshop, 18–20 December 2013, in Tallinn, Estonia. 

Estonian First Lady becomes champion of health 18-03-2014

Visiting WHO/Europe on 27 February 2014, Mrs Evelin Ilves, spouse of the President of Estonia, accepted the invitation of Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, to become the Champion of Health for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in the WHO European Region.

Harnessing the potential of cross-border care in the Baltic states and Finland 11-02-2014

Senior decision-makers in the health sectors of Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania gathered in Tallinn, Estonia on 28–29 November 2013 to discuss a policy framework for cross-border care and health professional mobility.

Government-wide action to reduce injury mortality in Estonia 16-01-2014

A multisectoral government task force on prevention of injury mortality in Estonia was set up to address the leading causes of mortality, including fires, drowning and poisoning.  The work of the task force was kicked-off at the policy dialogue held in Tallinn, Estonia on 4 October 2013 followed by the meeting of the task-force.

New report: Collaborative action on tuberculosis and alcohol abuse in Estonia 09-01-2014

Estonia has the highest per capita alcohol consumption in Europe. Alcohol consumption and its associated alcohol use disorders are seen as major obstacles to increasing the treatment success achieved under the National Tuberculosis Programme. The National Institute for Health Development, the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control worked jointly on a demonstration project aiming to improve treatment compliance and outcomes of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients through collaborative tuberculosis, mental health and social services.

New HiT report describes impact of financial crisis on health services in Estonia 12-11-2013

National action plan to improve ambulatory models of TB care in Belarus 04-11-2013

National specialists from Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania and Russian Federation shared their experiences in the control of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and discussed Belarus’ national action plan to improve ambulatory models for TB care at a workshop on 10–11 October 2013 in Minsk, Belarus.

Make health systems people centred 28-10-2013

Five years on from the signing of the Tallinn Charter: Health Systems for Health and Wealth, which called for greater investment in health systems, ministers and high-level officials met again in Tallinn, Estonia on 17–18 October 2013, at a follow-up meeting called “Health systems for health and wealth in the context of Health 2020”. The current economic crisis has underscored the need to invest in health, and focus more on addressing health inequities, ensuring universal health coverage and protecting health among the most vulnerable populations.

Estonia: shifting focus from the crisis to the future 14-10-2013

The new HiT health system review on Estonia describes Estonia's vigorous response to the 2008 financial crisis. Estonia indeed employed a tough austerity package with cuts in benefits and prices, increased cost sharing for certain services, extended waiting times, and a reduction in specialised care. While concerns about the future impact of some of these cuts remain, all in all Estonia seems to have managed quite successfully and its experience may hold important lessons for countries still dealing with the consequences of the economic downturn.

Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia visits WHO/Europe 22-04-2013

Taavi Rõivas, the new Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia, visited WHO/Europe on 12 April 2013. He met Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, and other staff to discuss cooperation between Estonia and WHO/Europe.

Estonian food manufacturers look to reduce salt in processed foods 07-03-2013

WHO/Europe and the Estonian National Health Development Institute held a joint workshop on 8 February 2013 on how to reduce salt and other selected nutrients in processed foods. Bringing together Estonian food manufacturers and public health experts from Estonia, Latvia and Montenegro, the workshop highlighted the importance of salt reduction for public health and the need for further collaboration in this area.

Estonian clinicians learn from Danish experiences with hospital performance assessment 06-02-2013

Baltic policy dialogue explores hospital-sector reform 15-01-2013

Senior representatives of the health ministries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania recently took part in the 9th Baltic policy dialogue, focusing on hospital financing and governance as ways to support the rationalization of hospital care and improvement of performance.

Moldovan public health specialists study service delivery in Estonia and Finland 13-12-2012

Key public health stakeholders from the Republic of Moldova visited Estonia and Finland on 28 November–5 December 2012 to learn more about the delivery of essential public health operations at national and local levels and to establish collaboration networks in both countries.

Training course in Estonia on ship sanitation certificates and the International Health Regulations 05-12-2012

On 13–14 November, WHO/Europe and the National Health Board held a training course in Tallinn on implementing the International Health Regulations at ports.

eHealth solutions in Norway and Estonia shared with delegation from the Republic of Moldova 20-11-2012

Key stakeholders in the establishment of a national eHealth strategy for the Republic of Moldova visited Norway and Estonia on 5-9 November 2012 to exchange knowledge on eHealth opportunities. The tour supported the overall effort in the Republic of Moldova to develop an eHealth strategy as part of the Government's Strategic Programme for e-Transformation. 

15th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities, Estonia 05-11-2012

This year, around 300 experts from mainly regulatory authorities, including more than 90 WHO Member States, were able to exchange their experiences, discuss ways for increased collaboration and determine the priorities for action in national and international regulation of medicines, vaccines, medical devices and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Release of Case studies on health system performance assessment, A long-standing development in Europe 14-08-2012

Health system performance assessment (HSPA) is a country-specific process of evaluating and communicating the achievement of high-level health system goals.

WHO mission to Estonia assists in drafting of new Public Health Act 28-06-2012

At the request of the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs, a group of WHO experts and external experts from Norway and Finland visited Estonia on 18–20 June to participate in an expert workshop on revising the Estonian Public Health Act. 

WHO contributes to development of Green Paper on tobacco policy in Estonia 28-06-2012

The Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs has requested technical assistance from WHO/Europe to support development of a Green Paper on tobacco policy with the aim of creating a detailed national roadmap for tobacco control.

OECD/WHO meeting in Estonia to address health spending challenges 27-06-2012

A meeting on financial sustainability of health systems in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe jointly organized by OECD and WHO/Europe will take place on 28–29 June 2012 in Tallinn, Estonia. The aim of the meeting is to bring together officials from ministries of health and finance, representatives of health insurance funds and international organizations to develop a common agenda and shared understanding of fiscal sustainability challenges of health systems. 

Health promotion conference in Estonia focuses on injury prevention 27-06-2012

This year's annual health promotion conference in Estonia, held on 8 June 2012, focused on injury prevalence and harm in Estonia as well as possibilities to prevent unintentional injuries.

Workshop in Estonia facilitates capacity building in health and environmental impact assessment 19-06-2012

A workshop on health and environmental impact assessment was held 14–15 June 2012 to facilitate dialogue between the health and environment sectors and to address capacity gaps. The workshop was part of the multicountry project "Capacity Building in Environment and Health (CBEH)", co-funded by the European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO).

Estonia’s Minister of Social Affairs visits WHO/Europe 03-02-2012

On 27 January 2012, Hanno Pevkur, the new Minister, visited WHO/Europe, to learn about its work and sign the biennial collaborative agreement on areas of joint work for 2012–2013.

Hospital sector reform: Republic of Moldova and Estonia learn from each other 08-12-2011

A study visit of health care managers from the Republic of Moldova to Estonia took place from 5 to 9 December 2011. The visit was organized by the WHO country offices in both countries, in close partnership with health sector authorities and health care providers in Estonia.

Flagship course on health system performance in Estonia 18-11-2011

A multicountry flagship course was held in Tallinn, Estonia, on 14-18 November 2011, bringing together key policy-makers, and sharing the experiences of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Republic of Moldova.

"Estonian Handbook for Guidelines Development" launched 17-10-2011

On 14 October 2011, the Medical Faculty at the University of Tartu, Estonian Health Insurance Fund and the World Health Organization launched the "Estonian Handbook for Guidelines Development" as an outcome of a 2-year preparation process. It provides guidance for health-care providers and public health specialists about evidence-based options for diagnosis and care of patients that help to improve the quality of care in Estonia.

Launch of follow-up review “Responding to the challenge of financial sustainability in Estonia’s health system: one year on” facilitates further policy dialogue on health financing 05-10-2011

On 4 October 2011, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, Ministry of Social Affairs and the World Health Organization (WHO) gathered key stakeholders in Estonia to present an analysis of major changes in the health system since 2010. This was nearly one and a half years since a comprehensive analysis on the financial sustainability in Estonia’s health system was performed and launched in March 2010.

Estonia shares health insurance fund experience with Republic of Moldova 30-09-2011

Within the framework of a development cooperation project, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is financing the project “Supporting the Functioning of Moldovan Health Insurance System” conducted by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. The main aim of this project is to support the development of Moldovan health insurance system through sharing the Estonian experience.

National health promotion conference on child and youth health in Estonia 20-06-2011

The annual conference, held in Tartu on 10 June 2011, focused on child and youth health. The participants gathered information on the current state of young people’s health and health determinants, and studied obstacles to creating a safer and healthier environment for young people. The proposals made were published in the conference memorandum.

Unity in response is needed to halt diverse HIV epidemics in Europe 30-05-2011

This was the main message of the AIDS 2011 Conference that closed on Friday in Tallinn, Estonia. The event took place on 25-27 May 2011 and gathered over 500 participants from 45 European countries.

Report on tobacco control situation in Estonia 27-05-2011

In December 2010, the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia and WHO/Europe conducted a joint assessment to look at the current status of tobacco control in Estonia and discuss about its future strategic directions.

Flagship course targets health financing after the economic crisis 11-04-2011

From 11–15 April 2011, about 60 officials from government, health insurance funds and other health sector stakeholders from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland participated in a flagship course on strengthening health systems and sustainable financing. WHO/Europe coordinated the course.

Parliamentary deliberations on the health of the Estonian population 13-12-2010

Dr Jarno Habicht, Head of WHO Country Office in Estonia, delivered a presentation in the Parliament of Estonia as part of deliberations on “Health of the Estonian population” on 9 December 2010.

Success of flagship course on health system strengthening continues 01-09-2010

In October 2010, over 60 government and health insurance fund officials, and other health sector stakeholders from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are participating in a flagship course on health system strengthening and sustainable financing, coordinated by WHO/Europe.

WHO supports the development of Estonian health system in difficult times 22-04-2010

Finding solutions to finance Estonia’s health system 06-03-2010

On 5 March 2010, health experts discussed the issue at a conference in Tallinn and mapped out future solutions to health financing in Estonia. The WHO Regional Director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, on her first official country visit to Estonia, and the Estonian Minister of Social Affairs, Hanno Pevkur, addressed the conference.