Dear colleagues and friends,
It is a pleasure to speak to you today. Both personally and professionally, we are experiencing unprecedented times. As COVID-19 has swept through our countries and communities, never before has the importance of public health been so prominent in the collective consciousness, and never before has the demand for our expertise been so insistent.
With good reason: the world is facing the greatest public health challenge of modern times. The European Region remains at the epicentre of the pandemic. So many livelihoods are at risk. So many lives have been lost. As always, my thoughts are, first and foremost, with those whose health and well-being have been devastated by the virus.
The European Public Health Week is taking place at a pivotal moment. Every country is mapping its way to a new normal, and every country is in a different place. Collaboration, coordination and communication across the public health community are essential; supporting a digital dialogue with citizens and communities is key. The events organized this week at national and European level offer an important platform as countries move towards transition.
At this stage, a skilled public health workforce supported by effective digital technology and capable of fulfilling a comprehensive, real-time, effective surveillance function, is a clear prerequisite to safe shifting of physical distancing restrictions.
Strong and integrated management of public health services, primary care services, and management of hospitals and long-term care facilities is critical to navigate this delicate phase.
It is of vital importance therefore that countries work together, learn from each other and coordinate efforts. At the WHO Regional Office for Europe, we have been reaching out to our Member States to provide guidance, operational support and technical assistance, and will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months.
COVID-19 has also placed another challenge for public health in the spotlight: health inequities. People with pre-existing chronic diseases often associated with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to suffer serious complications or die from COVID-19. The mental and social impacts of this pandemic are likely to be felt for months and years, particularly because of the related economic impacts.
Today, all of us – citizens, family members, public health experts and leaders – are deeply concerned about how the situation in our countries and communities is developing. But I am also greatly inspired and humbled by the extraordinary solidarity I see in communities, among nations and across our Region to beat this virus, united.
Looking ahead, each of us has a vital role to play – shaping the recovery to a new normal, placing health and equity at the heart of all policies. Through WHO/Europe’s European Programme of Work “United action for better health”, we will strive to accelerate action to reduce health inequities and to strengthen public health leadership at local, regional, national and international levels. I am confident that we can count on EUPHA and its membership to work with us to achieve this ambitious agenda together.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you – the public health community across the European Region – for your professionalism and your dedication in the face of this pandemic. The WHO Regional Office for Europe is proud to support you, and delighted to take part in this second European Public Health Week.
I wish you every success.
Thank you.
