Global Health EuropeEstablished in 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) is the specialized UN agency responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Its stated objective is “the attainment by all peoples of […]
On 23 October 2007, the European Commission adopted its new Health Strategy, Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013. In the words of the Commission, “On 23 October 2007, the European Commission adopted its new Health Strategy, Together for HealthOn 23 October 2007, the European Commission adopted its new Health Strategy, Together […]
The foreign policies of the European Union and European countries have played an increasingly important role in the politics of global health. On the one hand, policies have defended rather narrow domestic economic interests, mostly in the context of WTO and TRIPS, and in relation to the migration of health workers from the South to […]
The European Commission working in cooperation with Member State institutions supports an extensive array of disease specific surveillance networks. Short descriptions of each network can be obtained from the website of the Commission’s Directorate General for Public Health and Consumer Affairs and by following the links below. European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS) European Influenza […]
European Union institutions increasingly acknowledge the need to include civil society in their policy processes – particularly in health – and have created a special European Public Health Forum to dialogue with non-governmental organizations and patient groups. The Commission has had frequent consultations with civil society in decision-making relating to health, for example, the extensive […]
The European Union is clearly becoming a central actor in global health, but its role is still emerging and changing with the possible ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and in response to the European health strategy. For this reason it is timely to examine: The global health role of the European Union, the impacts of […]
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the principal international institution for the management of international trade. It was created at the Uruguay round of trade talks in 1994, when it was agreed to transform the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) into a permanent institution. WTO is an intergovernmental institution of 149 member states, […]
Health is now one of the largest markets in the world, accounting for some 10 per cent of global GDP. Sectors that endanger health – such as tobacco, alcohol and junk food – are amongst the most influential global industries and it is increasingly recognized that health is a cause of economic growth, as well […]
A growing number of highly diverse new organizations, networks and alliances focusing on discrete and measurable areas of action have superseded the simple division of delivery mechanisms between bilateral and multilateral health agencies. An increasing number of public-private partnerships (PPPs) are engaged in reducing the disease burden in the poorest countries. There are about 80 […]
The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe: The WHO Regional Office for Europe supports the 53 member states in the WHO European region in developing national policies and programmes for health and in contributing to global health improvement. Representatives of each member state meet in the WHO Regional Committee for Europe to develop regional […]