WHO/Europe monthly newsletter, with public health news and events highlights from around the WHO European Region.
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Public health news from around the WHO European Region.
News highlights
July 2026
TOP STORIES
Statement by WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge
07 July 2026
The next heatwave is already building over the Atlantic. Portugal and southern Spain are forecast to reach 43°C this week. France and the Benelux are bracing for another heat surge. Parts of central Asia are baking under 40°C heat.
Because of that urgent context, yesterday I convened an emergency call on extreme heat, which brought together representatives from 41 WHO/Europe Member States, as well as the European Commission and several civil society groups. With more than 130 participants, it was a clear sign of how seriously countries are treating extreme heat as a public health emergency, not just a weather event. The agenda was direct: what did the current heatwave teach us, and are we ready for what comes next?
The answers revealed both genuine progress and gaps we cannot afford to ignore. Read more
Statement – Get prepared: current European Region heatwaves are a dress rehearsal
30-06-2026
15 – 16 July 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
WHO/Europe and the Government of Portugal will co-host a global, high-level conference on artificial intelligence (AI) in health on 15–16 July 2026. The event will bring together senior government officials, regulators, clinicians, civil society, multilateral organizations, academia and industry representatives from around the world.
01 July 2026
Earthquakes are the deadliest of all natural hazards, causing more than half of all deaths from natural-hazard disasters worldwide between 2000 and 2023. Across the WHO European Region, millions of people live in homes and are treated in health facilities that would not survive a major earthquake.
That is why health ministers, heads of country delegations and senior officials met in Istanbul this week to agree how countries can protect health systems and their people before the next earthquake strikes. Around 200 participants, including 8 ministers of health from the WHO African, European, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions, attended the conference, hosted by the Government of Türkiye and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Read more
Statement – Preparing for the big one: protecting health in
earthquakes
02-07-2026
Protecting health after earthquakes: learning from a community-centred approach in Türkiye
12-06-2026
Reaching communities close to hostilities in Ukraine – with primary health care
30-06-2026
15 June 2026
WHO/Europe and Healthcare Denmark have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate cooperation on digital health, health data, artificial intelligence (AI) and health system innovation in the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. Read more
New WHO collaborating centre dedicated to
addressing liver disease in European Region
24-06-2026
New study reveals gaps in how mental health is measured in European Region
25-06-2026
WHO releases new guidance on the repair, refurbishment and recycling of assistive technology
02-07-2026
Western Balkans commit to stronger tobacco policies and a smoke-free future
07-07-2026
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26 June 2026
WHO/Europe and the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) officially signed a Letter of Intent on 23 June to establish a strategic partnership for promoting pan-European dialogue to reduce inequities, enabling every child and adult to live in health, safety and dignity
“The evidence is unambiguous, and it demands that we act: 138 million Europeans live in extreme poverty; millions of older women and men face their final years in severe isolation. Loneliness is not a personal failure – it is a public health emergency, one that raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia by up to 30%,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. Read more
COUNTRIES
26 June 2026
Measles vaccination coverage has seen a 25% increase in some counties in Romania in the first quarter of 2026, following targeted interventions to reverse the downward trend in vaccine uptake in the country.
Efforts by health authorities and WHO, with funding from the European Union (EU), aimed to identify and address the reasons behind the decline in measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage, with multiple communication initiatives targeting both health-care providers and the public, and intensified community outreach. Read more
Older Ukrainian refugees receive mental health and psychosocial support in Czechia
12-06-2026
Sweden and WHO launch new long-term initiative to transform Ukraine’s health system
26-06-2026
Beyond the microscope: empowering laboratory leaders in Uzbekistan
18-06-2026
08 – 10 September 2026 | Ljubljana, Slovenia
HEPA Europe and the National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia, in collaboration with WHO/Europe, invite you to the 17th HEPA Europe conference, which will take place on 8–10 September 2026 in Ljubljana, one of Europe’s greenest capitals. The event will also host the network’s 21st annual meeting, bringing together members from across Europe. Read more
Advancing quality of care, patient safety and mental health care for children and adolescents through the annual WHO European Autumn Schools
20 – 25 July 2026 | Dushanbe, Tajikistan
WHO Barcelona course on health financing for universal health coverage 2026
23 – 27 November 2026 | Barcelona, Spain
