Health In Europe

Stories of strength and dedication to mark International Women’s Day

For International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of three remarkable women working at the forefront of global health. Margaux Mesle, Ana Paula Coutinho Rehse and Harsh Lata work for the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s World Health Emergency programme (WHE) which sits at the centre of global coordination, preparation and response to disease outbreaks an...

 When we hear the word suicide, many of us instinctively recoil. The word is taboo in everyday life.  For family members who have lost somebody to suicide, this stigma can make grieving even more complex.  People may struggle to explain the loss and how they feel about it to friends, colleagues, and other family members. 

But how do you explain suicide to a young child?  What words should you use? How do you support them? 

 In June 2...

In this turbulent world, it’s tempting to move on and forget the difficult days of COVID-19. Although the impact of the COVID pandemic is far-reaching, and for many, ongoing, as priorities shift, people are thinking less about the last pandemic or the possibility of another one. We risk falling into yet another cycle of panic and neglect. 

In episode 6 of Not If, But When, we ask, what are the challenges for the public health expert...

In tropical and subtropical countries, the virus causing dengue is spiking. Close to an historic high of over 6 million cases and more than 7,000 dengue-related deaths were reported in over 80 countries and territories in 2023. Most places in Europe remain too cool to favour the mosquito or the virus, but imported dengue cases have been rising in the European region and the impact of climate change appears to be shifting the pictur...

The first of the three influenza pandemics that occurred in the 20th century is estimated to have killed over 50 million people.  Based on scientific advances, what do we know about the 1918-20 pandemic? What lessons does it teach about preventing pandemics and containing outbreaks when they do occur?

• Richard Pebody, director clinical and emerging infections of the UKs health security agency, explores the deadly 1918-20 pandemic...

The 2022 mpox outbreak has taught public health authorities a lot about the value of working with communities on important areas like testing, vaccination, and risk communication. Lessons that can be applied to other disease outbreaks.

Mpox is back in the news; there are sporadic clusters of cases in our region, and, in Central and West Africa, two strains of the virus continue to cause suffering and death. 

In this episode, we speak...

In this episode, we are putting a special focus on the H5N1 bird flu. We explore the ongoing efforts to prepare for future pandemics by speaking with experts like Peter Sousa Hoejskov, who explains the constant risk of zoonotic diseases jumping from animals to humans, and Maria van Kerkhove, who emphasizes the importance of global surveillance and preparedness in the face of potential influenza pandemics. The discussion sheds light...

We turn our attention to the world of nursing through the compelling lens of Stefanie Fernandes and Francisco Ferraz. Francisco, a passionate third-year nursing student from Portugal, brings us into the heart of his journey—navigating the intricate balance of emotional connections and the systemic challenges within healthcare. From his night shifts in the pediatric intensive care unit to the poignant stories that shape his vocation...

What are we doing to prepare for the next pandemic?

We go behind the scenes at WHO and some of the European region’s major public health institutions to understand what the most likely causes of future pandemics could be and what strategies are in place to avert them. We talk to the experts applying the lessons of previous pandemics and focus in on the systems in place to spot threats and reduce their impact.  We speak to the legion...

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the WHO's Expanded Programme on Immunization,  now known as the Essential Programme on Immunization, or EPI. This initiative has been a driving force behind the quest for fair access to life-saving vaccines for every child, irrespective of their geographical or socioeconomic circumstances.  

Over the past half-century, EPI has played a crucial role in shaping our battle against ...

There is an alarming resurgence of measles. In the WHO European Region, a startling uptick has been observed, with now over 50,000 cases reported across 41 Member States during 2023. This is a staggering increase from the 941 cases recorded throughout 2022, marking a more than fiftyfold escalation. 

Measles is a highly contagious virus. It can spread rapidly through breathing, coughing, or sneezing by an infected individual. The con...

In the latest 'Health in Europe' podcast, we explore Jack Kavanagh's transformation from a sports enthusiast to a disability rights advocate following a spinal cord injury. 

WHO talks with Jack for a deep dive into creating inclusive health systems. This episode goes beyond Jack's personal journey, addressing the societal need for health systems that cater to all, highlighting inclusivity, equity, and d...

We explore the transformative synergy of art and health, and how art can positively help tackle noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – from cardiovascular diseases to cancer. Join us as we discuss the healing potential of art interventions with experts from WHO/Europe's Special Initiative on NCDs and Innovation and Behavioural and Cultural insights units. Read more in the new WHO/Europe report “Learning from the arts” here: The pow...

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals act as a vital catalyst, urging countries worldwide to strive for Universal Health Coverage.  This encompasses the twin objectives of providing financial risk protection and ensuring equitable access to high quality essential health care services.  But how exactly do we define quality of care?

To shed more light on this important topic,  WHO/Europe has launched a brand new podcast cal...

One in three school-aged children in the WHO European Region are living with overweight or obesity, and countries are working hard to break and reverse this trend. In this episode, Julianne Williams, WHO technical officer for Noncommunicable Diseases at the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, and Mirjam Heinen, WHO consultant working for the same Office, talked to us about best evidence-based practices that ...

This episode of Health in Europe focuses on a very important question – can vaccines prevent cancer? We know that cancer is a complicated and elusive disease. According to WHO, cancer is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 10 million deaths in 2020. So, the potential to prevent some types of cancer through vaccination is quite literally life-saving.

Dr. Nino Berdzuli, the Director of the Divisi...

Behavioral and cultural insights utilize social sciences to tackle ongoing health issues - from vaccine uptake to antimicrobial resistance to obesity and other noncommunicable diseases.

In this conversation Bhanu Bhatnagar, Press and Media Relations Officer at WHO Regional Office for Europe, spoke with Dr Saad Omer, Director of the Yale Institute for Global Health, during a Twitter spaces event to find out more about why b...