EC TAIEX Report of the Multi-country Workshop on Monitoring NCDs and Health Inequalities related to NCDs

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Organized by the Technical Assistance Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission (TAIEX) in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Montenegro on behalf of SEEHN and the Regional Health Development Centre (RHDC) on NCDs of Montenegro, the Multi-country Workshop on Monitoring Non-communicable Diseases and Health Inequalities related to Non-communicable Diseases took place in Podgorica, Montenegro on 29–30 January 2015.

The workshop had close to 80 participants from the Member States of the SEE Health Network^[1], Kosovo^[3] and Turkey.

Part of a series of capacity-building activities led by the RHDCs in Podgorica supported by EC TAIEX, the Workshop aimed at identifying and proposing minimal set of indicators on NCDs and related health inequalities to be implemented and reported by all SEEHN countries, Kosovo* and Turkey.

The EC TAIEX Workshop Report summarizes the conclusions made by key experts from the International organizations, including WHO Europe, and considers the experiences of representatives of the EU Member States and of the SEEHN countries as well as Kosovo and Turkey in the field of monitoring NCDs and health inequalities related to NCDs. It also provides recommendations for further action in terms of developing uniform NCDs’ monitoring system for all SEEHN countries.

[1] SEE Health Network: The SEE Health Network was established in partnership with the Council of Europe and the WHO Regional Office for Europe within the framework of the Stability Pact Initiative for Social Cohesion. It comprises of Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina^[2], Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Republic of Serbia, the State of Israel and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;

[2]Ministry of Civil Affairs on the behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s health authorities: Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Srpska and Department of Health and Other Services of Brčko District

The Sarajevo meeting paves the way for annual Donor Coordination Conferences in the Western Balkans

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A two-day meeting on Donor Coordination in the Western Balkans was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina under the auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC). Gathering nearly hundred participants from major donor countries and organizations, the meeting focused on the mapping and coordination of donor activities in the Western Balkans, particularly in view of the implementation of the SEE 2020 Strategy “Jobs and Prosperity in a European Perspective”

Naturally, regional cooperation was confirmed to be of vital importance for boosting effectiveness and developing capacities in the Western Balkans. A solid study, performed by and reported by Professor William Bartlett from the London School of Economics, on “The political economy of donor intervention in Western Balkans and Turkey: mapping and potential for stronger synergies” showed clearly the social inclusion and issues are under-funded in the region.

Furthermore, it was agreed that RCC would host an annual donor coordination conference for the Western Balkans which would provide not only for a better alignment between regional development priorities, donors’ sectorial objectives and the priorities set out in the SEE 2020 Strategy but also for a more efficient use of the available funding.

Also adopted was the proposal to develop a single regional donor coordination database that will contribute to better prioritisation of actions, both nationally and regionally, and will help align the donor interventions with the needs of the region.