European Conference puts spotlight on Greek health system reform

[Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) - 18.12.2013] European Conference puts spotlight on Greek health system reform

Key stakeholders from the Greek and international communities met in Athens on 12-13 December 2013 on the occasion of the High-level Conference on the Greek Reforms in the Health Sector: Improving Citizens Health to discuss how to boost the countrys health sector as part of the Greek health reform. The Conference was opened by high-level officials from the Greek Government and regional authorities. Experts from the public and private sectors, the academic community and civil society also took part. The Conference was organized by the Ministry of Health of Greece in collaboration with WHO/Europe.
The Conference signals the start of the implementation of the Health in Action initiative, which was set up in 2012 by the Greek Government to address the impacts of the economic collapse on health with the aim of reforming the Greek health system.
The Conference was opened by His Beatitude Hieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece and Primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece, who expressed his support for the structural health-system reforms. Mr Antonis Samaras, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, stressed the importance of the primary health care reform in Greece, which is in line with the Alma Ata Declaration on PHC, and acknowledged the strong support of WHO/Europe in this endeavour, including the presence of Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, at the Conference.
Key-note speakers included Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, Mr Toni Borg, European Commissioner for Health, and Mr Thomas Ilka, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany. In her presentation on "Strengthening health systems in Europe in the context of the financial crisis, Ms Jakab shared lessons learnt across the European Region that are relevant to the Greek context within the Health 2020 policy framework.
In July 2013, WHO/Europe and the Ministry of Health of Greece signed a contribution agreement whereby a WHO team based at the Ministry of Health in Athens would support action related to structural reform, especially in primary health care and public health, as well as horizontal action across the different pillars of reform.

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