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
September 2026
TOP STORIES
19 August 2026
When an emergency strikes, the response needs to move fast. But the work that makes that possible has often been under way long before the first alert, the first deployment or the arrival of the first patient.
The planning. The surveillance. The guidelines. The standard operating procedures. The training. The coordination networks that serve as safety nets for countries in need. The relationships built long before they are needed. The systems tested before they are put under pressure. The trust in WHO, humanitarian partners and science harnessed over decades of research and international cooperation. And the lessons learned from past crises. Read more
27 – 29 October 2026 Copenhagen, Denmark
Health ministers and high-level delegates from the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region, as well as representatives of partner organizations and civil society, will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 27–29 October 2026 for the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC76). Read more
4 September 2026
In the past 3 months, 3 warehouses used by WHO in different regions of Ukraine have been destroyed by airstrikes, ruining essential medical supplies intended for frontline and hard-to-reach areas.
Early on Thursday, 3 September, an air attack in Kyiv region destroyed one of WHO’s main warehouses storing humanitarian medical supplies. Access to the site remains restricted due to heavy smoke and safety concerns, while assessments of possible damage and stock losses are ongoing. No WHO personnel were affected. Read more
Ukraine: WHO warehouse holding frontline medical supplies struck twice in 24 hours
10-08-2026
An urgent need: improving responses to gender-based violence in humanitarian settings
03-09-2026
18 August 2026
Women’s health has long been defined through the lens of motherhood. Pregnancy and childbirth are some of the most intense and transformative experiences a woman can undergo, and so they have been a major focus of health policy and investment. But the data tells a more complex story. Read more
Data stories: getting to know the lives behind the numbers
19-08-2026
Progress on AI in health should be determined by strength of governance, WHO forum urges
01-09-2026
WHO launches GIS roadmap to strengthen public health systems by 2030
10-08-2026
Facing up to the urgent reality of AMR: perspectives from across the Region
06-08-2026
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COUNTRIES
28 August 2026
The WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) has designated the School of Medicine at the University of Crete, Greece, as the WHO Collaborating Centre on Quality of Care and People-Centred Health Policies. The Centre will use behavioural and cultural insights to advance quality of care and patient safety. It will foster social participation and stakeholder engagement in health and care systems, promote patient partnerships and health literacy, and advance compassionate, dignity-based models of care to strengthen trust in health care systems across the WHO European Region. Read more
Trauma Team care: faster decisions and better outcomes for patients in the Republic of Moldova
19-08-2026
WHO in Ukraine: new representative
01-09-2026
17 September 2026 10:00 – 11:30 UTC Time | Online
To mark World Patient Safety Day 2026, WHO/Europe will hold a regional webinar highlighting the importance of safe care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The event will explore why integrating patient safety into NCD programmes and services is essential for better health outcomes, improved experience of care and more effective use of resources for health systems. Read more
Strengthening hospital preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies: CBRN Hospital Preparedness Workshop
15 – 17 September 2026 | Vilnius, Lithuania
Building financing pathways for digital health technologies in the WHO European Region
23 September 2026 11:00 - 12:00 CEST | Online
Summit of Mayors on Climate and Health
05 – 06 October 2026 | Cork, Ireland
WHO Course on Policy and Leadership in Mental Health: building the next generation of mental health leaders
07 October – 20 November 2026 | Utrecht, Netherlands (Kingdom of the) and online
Strengthening quality of care and patient safety through innovation, leadership and collaboration: the WHO 4th European Autumn School on Quality of Care and Patient Safety
19 – 23 October 2026 | Athens, Greece
WHO Barcelona course on health financing for universal health coverage 2026 23 – 27 November 2026 Barcelona, Spain
23 – 27 November 2026 | Barcelona, Spain
Bridging knowledge and action: Regions shaping the future of health – 31st annual meeting of the Regions for Health Network
24 – 27 November 2026 | Patras, Greece
16 August 2026
What role do health systems play in protecting women and girls from violence? That’s the overarching question at the heart of a new mini-series from WHO’s Health In Europe podcast, called “I Believe You” – launched as part of the Special Initiative on Violence against Women and Girls.
Across three episodes, we hear from leaders at WHO, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women. Read more
