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Regional Committee for Europe

Regional Committee Day 4

15-09-2011

Photo: WHO

Highlights of 15 September 2011

The final day of this year’s session of the Regional Committee for Europe was distinguished by the adoption of five action plans on addressing noncommunicable diseases, alcohol, HIV/AIDS, drug-resistant tuberculosis and antibiotic resistance.

Action plan on noncommunicable diseases

Following intensive debate yesterday, 12 countries worked into the night to amend and reach consensus on the proposed action plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2012–2016. Noting that “this was an example of the real added value of the Regional Committee”, countries adopted the amended resolution at the beginning of today’s proceedings.

European action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol 2012–2020

Alcohol is by far the largest killer of people aged 15–29 years in the European Region. The Region was the first WHO region to establish an action plan on alcohol, in 1992, and the current plan under discussion has been developed with the full involvement of European countries and in accordance with the Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol endorsed by WHO’s Member States in 2010. The plan provides a flexible set of options for alcohol control, including evidence-informed action relating to the pricing, availability and marketing of alcohol products as well as monitoring and surveillance instruments.

A delegate from Sweden also highlighted the often-overlooked effect on children growing up in families affected by the harmful use of alcohol, in addition to its consumption among young people.

The Regional Committee adopted a resolution adopting the action plan.

Children and young people with intellectual disabilities

Countries also endorsed the European Declaration on the Health of Children and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families, agreed at a conference in Bucharest, Romania, last year. Powerful testimony by “self-advocate” Senada Halilčević, a young person with intellectual disability, filmed at the conference in Bucharest and shown in plenary today, explained the life-enhancing improvement of living in the community.

Action plan on antibiotic resistance

In 29 countries in the Region, an estimated 25 000 people die each year from infections related to antibiotic resistance, most of them contracted in health care settings. The social, economic and health care costs are equally alarming: US$ 1.5 billion annually is spent on extra hospital treatment alone.

The European strategic action plan on antibiotic resistance was warmly welcomed as a means of harnessing the existing initiatives, policies, tools, plans and expertise already available to address this increasing threat in a coordinated manner. In particular, the synergistic role of the action plan in boosting the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy for Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance was made explicit in the resolution as adopted by the delegates. The action plan proposes several key actions to mitigate, prevent and control antibiotic resistance, including promoting national coordination to implement national action plans; promoting the prudent use of antibiotics; strengthening surveillance of the use of antibiotics and resistant bacteria; and creating awareness of the prudent use of antibiotics and the fact that new antibiotic drugs are not coming onto the market soon.

Action plan on multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis

An estimated 81 000 people have multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in the European Region, and only 62% of the people with confirmed multidrug-resistant TB receive adequate treatment. An unacceptably large number therefore receive inadequate treatment or are on waiting lists. The goal of the action plan set before countries today is to contain the spread of drug-resistant TB by achieving universal access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB in all countries in the Region by 2015.

In plenary, countries welcomed the plan, noting the importance of its focus on addressing barriers to treatment and reaching socially marginalized groups. A delegate from Azerbaijan stated, “This is only the start of a long and difficult journey … we cannot just throw medical treatment at the problem but ensure that diagnosis and treatment is more widespread, better accepted and followed”. Countries adopted the plan.

European Action Plan for HIV/AIDS 2012–2015

The eastern part of the WHO European Region has the most rapidly growing HIV epidemic in the world, with the estimated number of people living with HIV tripling there since 2000. The overall objective of the European Action Plan for HIV/AIDS is clear: to ensure zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths in the Region.

During discussions, countries stated their appreciation for how the Action Plan had been developed through a wide consultative process. Delegates also generally supported the content and scope of the plan, although a delegate from the Russian Federation raised the issue of mandatory testing for HIV in her country, which is part of national legislation and not in accordance with the recommendation in the plan. A representative from pan-European civil society organizations on HIV described the goals as “bold” and people living with HIV as “vital stakeholders” in implementing it.

The Regional Committee adopted the Action Plan to address HIV/AIDS.

Closing of the session

“This has been a memorable meeting”, said Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “There is a new momentum in Europe. We share a determination to protect health as a human right that should inform all government policy. At the same time, countries have backed evidence-informed detailed action plans that will help to support countries as they tackle some of the key killer diseases.”