In March 2020, Miranda Edge, aged 24, had only been qualified as a staff nurse for 6 months when she learned that the post-surgical ward she worked on in the West Midlands, United Kingdom, was to become a COVID-19 ward.While the world slowly took stock of the spread and severity of COVID-19, Miranda was confronted…
“When I first saw a refugee patient, I felt the ground slipping from under my feet. I had very mixed emotions. On the one hand I wanted to scream in pain, but at the same time, I knew I had to concentrate, because my patient needed me.”This is how Maria Roșca, a family nurse in…
As countries continue to rebuild their health systems following the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO/Europe urges governments to support and strengthen their nursing and midwifery workforce.On International Nurses’ Day 2022, WHO/Europe is publishing a series of new snapshots from 13 countries in the Region presenting how they are supporting nurses’ and midwives’ education, service delivery, jobs, and…
The ongoing war in Ukraine and its impact on health conditions locally, as well as health matters regionally and beyond, were the focus of a special session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe today.The virtual special session, moderated from WHO/Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark, was called by Ukraine and 42 other Member States, including all…
10-11 May 2022Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for EuropeGood morning and thank you for joining this special session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.These are dark times for the European Region, as we are confronted with unthinkable levels of human suffering. In the long shadow cast from over two years of…
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown, perhaps as never before, the importance of risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) for emergency preparedness and response. Communicating the risks from the virus has proven vital to ensuring people can make informed decisions and take actions to protect themselves and others, and has thus helped reduce the pandemic’s impact…
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are among the biggest health threats for people living in prisons – yet there are still not enough policies to address this serious problem. The new WHO report “Addressing the NCD burden in prisons in the WHO European Region: interventions and policy options” shares new data and lays out an updated approach…
Olexander Babanin is Logistics and Operations Officer for WHO, and is responsible for organizing the transportation of essential medical supplies and equipment from storage facilities to locations across the world. In this interview, Olexander explains how WHO decides which supplies are needed, how they are distributed and how they might be used, in the particular…
WHO/Europe Menu Home Health topics Countries Publications Data and evidence Media centre About us 09-05-2022 WHO/Andrea Rhein Climate change affects everybody across the world, but each country may face different effects in various ways. To address this threat, national authorities need information on the specific climate hazards they are already facing, the ones that will…
WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, signed a biennial collaborative agreement (BCA) and presented a special WHO award to health workers in Armenia during a recent country visit.The BCA signed by Ms Anahit Avanesyan, Minister of Health of Armenia and Dr Kluge focuses on quality health care accessible to everyone, effective…