Delegates endorse second European Programme of Work as WHO/Europe gets “back to basics” at RC75

Member States resoundingly endorsed the second European Programme of Work (EPW2) at the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC75), held in Copenhagen on 28-30 October 2025.

Under the theme of "back to basics", Member States received updates on WHO/Europe's work and details of the ongoing restructuring process to position WHO/Europe to deliver the new 5-year programme of work in a constrained financial environment.

EPW2 is adopted unanimously

Introducing EPW2, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, outlined the unprecedented co-creation process involving over 5000 participants, 53 Member States and more than 650 written inputs. It serves as a "health compass" to guide countries towards the Sustainable Development Goals and beyond - addressing the megatrends reshaping the European Region's health landscape.

EPW2 comprises 3 parts: a shared vision, a prioritized WHO work programme and an organizational transformation plan to ensure WHO/Europe remains a trusted, responsive and impactful partner.

At its core, it has 5 priority areas:

1. Maximizing health security - strengthening preparedness, detection and rapid response to crises to safeguard societies and economies;
2. Tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and shaping health drivers - addressing physical and mental health through cross-sectoral action on social, economic and environmental determinants;
3. Living and ageing in good health - ensuring longer lives are healthier, more active and dignified;
4. Driving climate health action - protecting populations from environmental risks and promoting sustainable living;
5. Shaping future health systems - leveraging innovation and technology to create fair, efficient and resilient care systems.

Alongside these, 2 special initiatives reinforce EPW2's impact:

• the cross-cutting Primary Health Care Initiative, integrating primary health care across all priorities to strengthen prevention and continuity of care;
• the Special Initiative on Violence against Women and Girls, a regional call to action to ensure prevention, care and protection for all survivors.

In plenary, interventions from over 35 Member States expressed their strong support for EPW2 and noted the importance of the restructuring process given WHO's resource constraints. International organizations, including the European Commission and the Council for Europe, also took the floor.

Interventions from non-State actors welcomed EPW2 while emphasizing areas including mental health, the health and care workforce, adequate provision of palliative care, NCD risk factors, and climate change and health.

In response, Dr Kluge commented, "I am so pleased that many of you see your national priorities clearly reflected in the EPW2 - whether in health security, climate health action, NCDs and mental health, or resilience and people-centred health systems, with a major focus on the health workforce."

The EPW2 session also provided an opportunity for Dr Kluge to launch his call to action to end violence against women and girls. This call recognizes the critical role that the health sector plays as the first and often only point of contact with survivors of violence. It asks leaders to speak up to publicly condemn violence; champion change; remove legal and policy barriers that prevent survivors from accessing care; promote zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment; and invest in protection.

A high-level panel from Austria, Croatia, Iceland, Spain and Tajikistan shared national perspectives and activities, chaired by Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland and Klaus Beck, Deputy Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund. The Special Initiative will be taken forward at a meeting co-organized with the Spanish Ministry of Health in Madrid on 20-21 November 2025.

Spirit of cooperation and solidarity marks opening of RC75

Proceedings were opened by a choir of more than 30 children aged 3-17 from Goldschmidt's Music Academy, who performed a series of 3 songs: "You are the most beautiful", in Arabic; "We are all brothers and sisters", in Yiddish; and "In the deep, quiet peace of the forest". in Danish. The Academy's founder, Henrik Goldschmidt, introduced the choir explaining that participation is free, and the goal is to bring together children from many nationalities to build friendships through music, with a message of peace.

Separately, video addresses from Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, and Araz Chiloyan, a youth representative from Armenia, shared a common theme of strengthening active partnership and collaboration.

At the opening of RC75, the following officers were elected:

• Martine Deprez, Minister of Health and Social Security, Luxembourg, elected President;
• Dr Thomas Dentzer, Luxembourg, elected Executive President;
• Ásta Valdimarsdóttir, Iceland, elected Deputy Executive President;
• Dr Sachly Nuryyeva, Turkmenistan, elected Rapporteur.

Addresses by Regional Director and Director General highlight necessary structural changes in a time of financial challenge

Addressing delegates during his keynote address, Dr Kluge set the scene explaining: "... we gather in times of crisis... budgets are tight, health workers are few... but crises have also taught us to work fast and keep core health services alive".

Dr Kluge framed his statement around implementing 3 interconnected streams of work in line with the UN80 Initiative:

• back to the core mandate
• efficiency and accountability
• restructuring and alignment.

He concluded, "The road ahead will be hard. It will require difficult decisions, openness for change and genuine partnership. But with your support WHO/Europe will deliver in times of peace and in times of crisis within a financially sustainable structure safeguarding the core functions".

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, connected to the Regional Committee session by video link from New York, began by noting that the United Nations is at a critical juncture. Concluding his address, Dr Tedros made delegates 3 requests - to engage in negotiations of the Pathogens Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex to the Pandemic Agreement, to receive further patients from Gaza, and to work with the Organization to ensure it is stronger, more empowered and more independent.

Member States expressed strong support for WHO/Europe's strategic direction under EPW2, emphasizing the need for prioritization, solidarity and a return to WHO's core mandate. The ongoing restructuring of WHO/Europe amid a budget shortfall was raised by multiple countries with many calling for sustainable, flexible and predictable financing.

United Nations agencies added further depth commending WHO's work on universal health coverage, emergencies, and sexual and reproductive health, while pledging continued collaboration on joint priority areas. Non-State actors also welcomed EPW2 and called for structural support for civil society.

Shaping technical work for the coming years

A healthy start for a healthy life: child and adolescent health

Member States were asked to consider a new Strategy on Child and Adolescent Health. It calls on countries to strengthen health systems and social policies that support children and families, and urges governments to ensure accessible and inclusive maternity services, promote early childhood development and preventive health care, and provide comprehensive and high-quality services tailored to the specific needs of children and adolescents.

The strategy also emphasizes the importance of protecting children from harm, including exposure to violence, commercial exploitation, unhealthy products and the potential negative effects of social media. Creating safe physical, social and digital environments is a central pillar of the plan.

The strategy was adopted by all 53 Member States, with non-State actors being vocal in their support. Youth will continue to play a key role in implementing the strategy.

A strategy for harnessing innovation

Member States unanimously adopted the Strategy on Harnessing Innovation for Public Health in the WHO European Region 2025-2030.

The new strategy provides a roadmap for turning ideas into impact, helping countries bridge the persistent innovation-implementation gap that has left many proven public health solutions underused or fragmented across the Region. Member States gave examples of innovations - technological, structural, governance - while raising the importance of co-creating innovation. This included sharing success stories and practices while thinking differently to ensure equity and affordability of innovations.

The Secretariat concluded that WHO/Europe will use its convening function to ensure that innovative approaches can be implemented nationally, leaving no one behind. Under EPW2, WHO/Europe will focus efforts on innovation, to tackle megatrends in areas such as NCDs, mental health and climate change, and support health system resilience.

Ageing is living

Member States, partners and representatives of civil society delivered a strong and united message: "Ageing is living" must go beyond a vision and serve as a call to action to close the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy.

There was broad agreement and support for the proposed strategy's twin-track approach, its key enablers and four action areas - particularly the need to strengthen prevention and primary health care, build integrated long-term care systems, and create age-friendly environments that promote connection, inclusion and dignity.

Countries welcomed the strategy's framing as one for all generations, rather than only for older people, recognizing it as the way to transform approaches to healthy ageing. As the Region enters the second half of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing, delegates underscored the need to translate evidence into policy and commitment into implementation - so that everyone, at every age, can live and age in good health.

Several Member States appreciated the inclusive and participatory process and encouraged continued engagement with national, regional and local actors - as well as civil society - during the upcoming consultation phase. They emphasized that collaboration at the local and regional levels will be key to successful implementation.

The proposal will now be developed further and presented at the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC76) in 2026.

Budget matters

During the agenda item on programme budget matters, the WHO Secretariat provided an update to Member States on the current and future financial stability of WHO/Europe. Delegates were also briefed on WHO/Europe's organizational restructuring process and cost-saving measures.

Looking ahead, targeted resource mobilization will be central with a focus on securing predictable, multi-year funding and actively expanding the donor base. Furthermore, leveraging new tools, including Artificial Intelligence, will help to drive internal efficiencies and contribute towards cost-savings.

Member States expressed broad support for this focus on transparency, efficiency and accountability. They emphasized that funding decisions must deliver measurable public health benefits and urged the Organization to protect technical expertise and institutional knowledge during this transition.

Governance and partnership matters

During the private session on elections and nominations, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Malta and Slovenia were elected to the Standing Committee of the Regional Committee. Further, Georgia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland were nominated for seats on WHO's Executive Board and the matter will be taken forward to RC76.

Delegates also warmly welcomed the third edition of WHO/Europe's Accountability Report and proposals for 3 Geographically Dispersed Offices were considered, with further consideration to be given at RC76.

Finally, the session closed with the accreditation of 4 new non-State actors to attend future sessions of the Regional Committee: the European Academy of Paediatrics, the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers' Association, the European Specialist Nurses Organisation and the International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies.

Looking ahead to RC76

Before closing, the Regional Committee confirmed that RC76 will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 27-29 October 2026.

In his closing remarks, Dr Kluge expressed his gratitude to all those who made RC75 a success. He commented, "These 3 days remind us of what is possible when purpose meets partnership. You have given us a powerful new mandate by adopting the second European Programme of Work. It reflects our shared vision for health and well-being in the European Region - with joint ownership, joint responsibility and joint accountability - all rooted in our commitment to an evidence-based WHO/Europe. Now our task is clear: to turn this vision into implementation and results - results felt in every community, every clinic, every home."