EFNNMA on WHO/Europe Regional meeting on Health and Care Workforce – It’s time to act
Bucharest Declaration
22 – 23 March 2023
Bucharest, Romania (and online)
In the midst of an unprecedented crisis affecting millions of health workers in Europe and Central Asia, WHO/Europe has hosted a high-level regional meeting on 22–23 March to galvanize government actions to support and protect all health and care workers.
To be held in Bucharest, Romania, and co-organized with the Romanian Ministry of Health, the meeting will bring together government ministers, civil society representatives, professional organizations, and health and care workers themselves to agree on a set of concrete actions to protect, support and invest in health and care workers.
WHO/Europe recently warned of a ticking timebomb threatening health systems in Europe because of an aging workforce, poor mental health support, and challenges attracting and retaining young people into the health sector. In its flagship report, Health and care workforce in Europe: Time to Act, WHO/Europe called on countries to do more to protect their health and care workers, outlining a set of concrete recommendations to turn this vision into reality.
The regional meeting
The meeting has had the attendance of a number of health ministers, government representatives, academics, policy experts, and health workers and their unions and associations.
The opening session included the participation of Mr Nicolae-Ionel Ciucǎ, Prime Minister of Romania; Alexandru Rafila, Minister of Health of Romania; and Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Plenary sessions have been streamed live with English/Russian interpretation.
EFNNMA participation
EFNNMA President Mervi Jokinen and Board members Karen Bijoro and Franz Wagner participate at High Level Meeting in Bucharest
The 2 days meeting sessions discuss actions to:
- retain and recruit health and care workers, especially in rural and remote areas
- improve working conditions, including a healthy work-life balance
- protect health and care workers’ mental health and well-being
- promote health and care workers’ digital skills
- improve the governance and planning of the health workforce
- promote ethical migration practices
- address gender gaps in the health and care workforce.
The meeting will be attended by health ministers, government representatives, academics, policy experts, and health workers and their unions and associations.
The opening session will include the participation of Mr Nicolae-Ionel Ciucǎ, Prime Minister of Romania; Alexandru Rafila, Minister of Health of Romania; and Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Plenary sessions will be streamed live with English/Russian interpretation
EFNNMA take part also at Government Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers meeting that take place, with the aim to develop intersection between association and government area.
