WHO approves Euro health plan

The approval of an ambitious eight-year European health plan was hailed as the major achievement of the World Health Organisation regional meeting which ended in Malta yesterday.

Addressing the media on the final day of the meeting, WHO Europe director Zsuzsanna Jakab said she had never witnessed such widespread support for such an important policy framework document.

The Health 2020 plan aims to increase life expectancy and reduce health inequalities in the 53-country WHO European region.

This includes the EU, former Soviet and central Asian states, “so consensus is not always easy,” Ms Jakab pointed out.

Health 2020 emphasises a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach to disease prevention and tackling social factors that affect the health of regional citizens.

“To be successful we need to reach Prime Ministers and leaders at the top level of government,” said Ms Jakab, adding that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had been broadly supportive of Health 2020’s aims.

Asked about the potential effects of the current financial crisis on Health 2020, Ms Jakab replied that improving the health and well-being of citizens was the best investment governments could make.

Countries would save money in the long run by focusing on the root causes of health problems rather than treatment, she said.

“Improved health brings long-term social, political and economic benefits.”

The policy is non-binding but the WHO regional office aims to provide leadership, advice and expertise to its members.

The adoption of a regional Healthy Ageing Plan and Public Health Action Plan were the other major successes of the meeting, Ms Jakab said.

She praised Malta’s “absolutely flawless organisation and hospitality” as host nation of the 62nd European Region meeting.

Health Minister Joe Cassar said the Maltese government shared the goals of Health 2020 to address the social determinants of health and focus on disease prevention.

The publication of strategy documents on non-communicable disease, cancer and obesity in recent years was evidence that Malta had already adopted this approach, Dr Cassar said.

Dr Cassar also congratulated superintendent of public health Ray Busuttil, who was elected deputy-chairman of the Standing Committee of the WHO Regional Conference yesterday.

Dr Busuttil will take up his position next year and he will become president of that committee in 2014.

“This will give Malta a powerful voice at the highest level of the WHO in Europe,” a Health Ministry spokesman said.