WHO European Region endorse new five-year programme of work

On 14 September 2020, ministers of health and public health leaders from 53 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region endorsed a new five-year plan. The European Programme of Work (EPW), also known as ‘United action for better health in Europe’, sets out how the WHO and its member states will work together to meet citizens’ expectations for health.

Under the EPW, European member states aim to implement three core priorities: 

• guaranteeing the right of universal access to quality care without fear of financial hardship 
• protecting against health emergencies 
• building healthy communities, where public health actions and appropriate public policies secure a better life in an economy of well-being

These core priorities are anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and are aligned with the global vision set out in the WHO’s General Programme of Work 2019 to 2023.

Source: WHO, 14 September 2020