Addressing health experts from throughout the WHO European Region at the 12th European Health Forum Gastein, held from 30 September to 3 October 2009 in Bad Hofgastein, Austria, Dr Nata Menabde, Deputy Regional Director at WHO/Europe, explained that the values and commitments in the Tallinn Charter: Health Systems for Health and Wealth are more relevant than ever.
Overcoming the crisis requires well-targeted, timely investment in health systems as part of economic stimulus packages and further improvement of performance assessment. It also creates the need to do some things differently: avoiding duplication, fostering partnership and strengthening health governance across the WHO European Region.
Dr Menabde explained WHO/Europe’s work to coordinate the health response to the economic crisis. At the fifty-ninth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, on 14–17 September 2009, the Region’s Member States had endorsed the recommendations made in April at the WHO/Europe meeting on the implications of the global crisis for the Region.