workforce

[EPHA position paper] Reforming Health Sy­stems in Times of Austerity

Amidst the backdrop of the economic crisis and countries being recommended to reform health systems to achieve better public administrations and fiscal consolidation, EPHA launches its position on health system reforms. This position includes lessons learned and recommendations for equality.

Working for Equity in Health : Final Conference

Registration is now open for the concluding PROGRESS Project Conference – Working for Equity in Health to be held in Brussels on Monday, November 26th 2012. EPHa is a partner in the project The concluding PROGRESS Project Conference – Working for Equity in Health - will be held in Brussels on Monday, November 26th 2012. Registration The aim of PROGRESS has been to explore the relationship between work and worklessness as social determinants of health and using an asset based (...)

Towards an effective implementation and delivery of the Health 2020 strategy in times of austerity

In September, EPHA was invited to deliver a statement to the 62nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe. Building on the statement last year that partnership with civil society - both within and outside of the health sector- is crucial to the success of the Health 2020 Strategy the statement this year focused on the financial crisis and the confirmation of EPHA’s commitment to promoting better health outcomes. As a result of past investments in health, the European Region (...)

The European Commission extends social partners’ negotiation period on reviewing European Working Time Directive

The European Commission has agreed to a joint proposal from the social partners to extend the negotiating period on reviewing the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) to December 31 2012 as negotiations are making progress. Following unsuccessful deliberations in 2009, when the Commission’s last proposal failed to be adopted after two readings in the Parliament and a conciliation procedure, the European Commission again consulted social partners in 2010 about possible changes to (...)

Increasing capacities to deliver effective public health: WHO consults

The World Health Organisation Europe Region consults and draws the European Public Health Action Plan for strengthening public health capacities and services. The deadline to comment is the 6 April 2012. Public health experts have reached a common understanding that there is a need across the region to strengthen public health and capacities to deliver ’public health’. In order to improve the situation, the WHO Europe Region has drafted an European Public Health Action Plan (...)

Mental Health Europe announces 2012 Annual conference on Social Determinants of Mental Health

Mental Health Europe, EPHA member working on Mental Health issues in Brussels has announced the details of its 2012 conference to be held on 14 - 16 June in Split, Croatia. Deadline to submit abstract: 15 March 2012 Abstracts are now being invited for contributions to the Mental Health Europe Annual conference, which this year will focus on the Social Determinants of Mental Health. The conference will feature speakers from the World Health Organisation (WHO), European Commission and the (...)

Access denied: Irregular migrants excluded from basic rights and services in Europe

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) publishes a new report showing the challenges faced by undocumented migrants in Europe. The lack of access to healthcare is one of the main barriers that is highlighted by the European Agency. Among the recommendations, free healthcare is pointed out as necessary, especially for children and pregnant women. Main findings Entitled ’Fundamental rights of migrants in an irregular situation in the European Union’, the report (...)

"Keeping the Health Workforce debate high on the EU agenda is essential" argues EPHA in the European Parliament

On 31 May 2011, EPHA took part in a half-day seminar entitled ’’Developing a Community approach to addressing health workforce and professional mobility challenges’’ in the European Parliament. The event served as a multistakeholder discussion forum for highlighting the main health workforce challenges and for bringing requests to the European Parliament for future action. Organised by Dr. Antonyia Parvanova MEP (Bulgaria, ALDE) with the cooperation and support of (...)

Public consultation: Green Paper on Modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive

The European Commission released a Green Paper (consultation) on Modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive (Directive 36) on 22 June, and a public consultation has been launched by DG MARKT to collect stakeholders’ views on its rejuvenation. The deadline for responses in 20 September 2011. The reform of the system of recognition of professional qualifications as a means to facilitate mobility is one of the priority actions proposed by the Commission in the Single Market (...)

Highlights from the 2011 World Health Assembly

The 64th World Health Assembly took place in Geneva from the 16th to the 24th of May. A total number of 28 resolutions and three decisions were adopted, among which some were characterized as ‘historical’. Introduction The Conference lasted for 8 days, and was introduced by the opening speeches from Dr Margaret Chan Director-General of the WHO (speech), Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister of Bangladesh (speech), and Bill Gates co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (...)