‘Mental health is an universal human right’

World Mental Health Day 2023 serves as a platform for individuals and communities to observe together this important health day. This years theme is ‘Mental health is an universal human right.’ The collective effort aims to enhance understanding, elevate consciousness, and spur initiatives that advance and safeguard the mental well-being of all, recognizing it as a fundamental human entitlement.

Currently, Bosnia and Herzegovina holds the SEE Health Network (SEEHN) presidency, and it focuses its primary efforts and expertise to promote mental health reforms, namely community mental health services, including the ones in post-conflict settings. Special attention is given to the healthcare workforce and its mental health, mainly after the pandemic in view of the pandemic impact and the permacrisis in the region..

The SEEHN is dedicated to its continued collaboration with other organizations in an effort to maintain mental health high on the policy makers agenda.

On September 26, 2023, the SEEHN Secretariat was proud to organize a highly successful Mental Health Session during the prestigious European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) 2023 conference.

The session convened an esteemed assembly of experts, policymakers, and advocates, uniting to tackle critical mental health challenges prevalent in the South-eastern Europe (SEE) region.

The event was marked by profound discussions, exchange of invaluable insights, and the exploration of strategies aimed at fortifying mental health services across Europe.

Moreover, by the end of this year, a study tour, at the WHO Collaborative Center for Research and Training in Mental Health, to visit the community mental health services in Trieste is planned.

The SEEHN strongly urges its Member States to act, to safeguard the mental health of the medical personnel, and to increase the funding for the battle against the hidden mental illness burden. We all must continue to seek to deepen our European and South Eastern European commitment to mental health as a rights-based strategy.

On September 26, 2023, the South-eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) Secretariat was proud to organize a highly successful Mental Health Session during the prestigious European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) 2023 conference.

The session convened an esteemed assembly of experts, policymakers, and advocates, uniting to tackle critical mental health challenges prevalent in the South-eastern Europe (SEE) region.

Broadcast globally via live-streaming, the event was marked by profound discussions, exchange of invaluable insights, and the exploration of strategies aimed at fortifying mental health services across Europe.

The session featured distinguished speakers who significantly enriched the discourse:

Prof Dr Hristo Hinkov, minister of health Bulgaria, emphasized the global, regional and national strategic frameworks to advance mental health.

Dr Nathalie Berger, Director for Support to Member State Reforms at the European Commission, and Dr Nikolina Jovanović, Associate Professor at Queen Mary University of London, provided succinct talks on pivotal elements necessary for the advancement of mental health services in South-Eastern Europe.

Dr Nicolae Jelamschi, representing the public sector, shared illuminating insights into the trends and the significance of mental health in the SEE region’s healthcare workforce, along with key priorities for improvement.

At the same time, the session benefited from the profound experiences of Dr Biljana Lakić and Dr Irina Rizvan, who offered insights into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s mental health sector.

The panel discussions and audience interaction were moderated by Dr Mira Jovanovski Dašić, Director of South-Eastern European Health Network (SEEHN) Secretariat. Additionally a Young Gasteiner, Ms Benedetta Baldini, provided support at the News Desk throughout the session.

Key Highlights and Outcomes:

• Regional Comparative Study Findings: The session unveiled the findings of a comprehensive regional comparative study on mental health services in SEE, providing an all-encompassing overview of the current state of mental health services in the region.

• National Experience Sharing: Attendees were privileged to gain profound insights into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s remarkable two-decade journey in post-conflict mental health reforms, with a focus on the importance of sharing such experiences to benefit other SEEHN Member States.

• Prioritizing Healthcare Workers’ Mental Health: Best practices for addressing mental health issues among healthcare professionals took center stage. The session underscored the necessity of prioritizing the well-being and resilience of healthcare workers.

• Empowering Civil Society: A significant portion of the session was dedicated to exploring the critical role of civil society in furnishing community-based mental health services and fostering inclusivity and support, emphasizing the significance of collaborative endeavors.

• EU Support and Aspirations: Deliberations revolved around the European Union’s pivotal role in supporting mental health reforms in the SEE region, aligning harmoniously with the region’s aspirations for EU accession.

• Engaged Audience: Active participation from both onsite and online attendees enriched the session, with thought-provoking questions and discussions spanning topics such as EU support for mental health, accessibility to mental healthcare services, trends in mental health for the healthcare workforce, and innovative approaches to mental health service delivery.

The session concluded with a comprehensive panel discussion that provided attendees with an opportunity to delve deeply into subjects encompassing current practices, effective implementation strategies, the scaling up of mental health services, and the fundamental prerequisites for successful mental health reforms.

SEEHN Secretariat extends its heartfelt appreciation to all the speakers, panelists, moderators, and participants whose invaluable contributions played a pivotal role in the resounding success of the Mental Health Session at EHFG 2023. The session reflected the unwavering dedication and commitment of individuals and organizations to advance mental health services and support the well-being of healthcare professionals in the SEE region.

The insights, knowledge, and recommendations generated during this session will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on mental health policies and practices in the SEE region.

SEEHN Secretariat remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing the cause of mental health and eagerly anticipates ongoing collaboration and progress in this pivotal area.

EuroHealthNet, in collaboration with the RIVER-EU project, hosted a dynamic session on vaccine hesitancy and its underlying factors on September 27, 2023, during the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) 2023 conference.

The event aimed to reveal the broader health determinants influencing vaccine choices and challenge the misconception that vaccine hesitancy is the sole driver of unequal vaccine coverage in Europe.

Dr. Mira Jovanovski Dašić, Head of the SEEHN Secretariat, with other prominent speakers Prof Danielle Jansen, Associate Professor at the University Medical Center Groningen, Dr Angelo Fasce, Research Fellow at the University of Coimbra,  and Ms Caroline Bollars, Senior Advisor at WHO Europe, contributed to this exciting session. Ms Alison Maassen, Programme Manager at EuroHealthNet, moderated skilfully the discussion. Additionally a Young Gasteiner, Ms Lina Papartyte, provided support at the News Desk.

In a compelling address, Dr. Dašić highlighted the following key points:

• Impact of Misinformation: Dr Dasic emphasized the detrimental effect of misinformation on vaccine hesitancy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. SEEHN responded by promoting accurate information and debunking falsehoods.
• SEEHN’s Role as a Peace-builder: Dr. Dasic discussed SEEHN’s genesis as a peace-building tool in post-conflict Balkan states. Health, as a human right, facilitated communication and collaboration among member states, even during distrust and limited resources. High vaccination rates were maintained due to mandatory schedules and trust in locally produced vaccines.
• Evolution of Vaccine Discourse: Dr. Dasic noted the changing vaccine narrative from her experience supervising school vaccination programs between 1990 and 2000. Trust in healthcare workers, mandatory vaccination, and a lack of anti-vaccination groups contributed to high vaccination rates. Today, unified messaging from experts is essential for achieving adequate vaccine coverage.

This event fostered dialogue on vaccine uptake barriers and systemic changes for equitable vaccine services. The insights shared will further efforts to enhance vaccine coverage and public health across Europe.

JOINT STATEMENT

On the occasion of World Patient Safety Day 2023, 17 September 2023

The South-eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) and the SEEHN Regional Health Development Center (RHDC) on Accreditation and Continuous Quality Improvement of Health Care (ACQI),
representing the one voice of the 10 (ten)Focal Points for ACQI1 from the 9 (nine) SEEHN member states – the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the State of Israel, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Romania and the Republic of Serbia, call for integrated, coordinated and forward-looking regional efforts and actions in the field of empowerment of
Patient Safety and in line with
WHO launched a flagship initiative: The Decade of Patient Safety 2020-2030

Taking into account the Resolution 72.6 of the World Health Organization (WHA72.6) and the Global Patient Safety Action Plan of the World Health Organization 2021-2030 (Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030), SEEHN member states will strive to achieve the above Joint Commitment through seven actions.

First: Strengthening SEEHN cooperation and joint initiatives in order to maximize regional capacities for patient safety improvement.

Second: Raising awareness on safety of clinical processes, like: clinical procedures, medication without harm, infection prevention, control and antimicrobial resistance, safety of medical devices, medicines, blood and vaccines.

Third: Raising awareness among healthcare professionals and general public about the importance of patient safety issues in the provision of health care.

Fourth: Strengthening the role of patients and their families, as well as patients` associations in developing and implementing patient safety policies and measuring the improvement of providing safe healthcare.

Fifth: Prioritizing the issue of patient safety in the creation of health policies and in the entire institutional framework of our health systems.

Sixth: Strengthening existing mechanisms and establishing new mechanisms for recording, collecting, reporting and analyzing data related to patient safety at all levels of the health systems, in compliance with data protection legislation/regulations.

Seventh: Improving and strengthening the knowledge, skills and competencies of healthcare workers in terms of patient safety through the development and implementation of formal and informal trainings with regional coordination.

Recognizing the importance of providing safe health care, but also aware of the challenges that our health systems face when it comes to patient safety, the representatives of the Healthcare Quality and Accreditation Agencies in the member states of the SEEHN agree that in the coming period, they will jointly contribute to improving patient safety, according member state ‘context.

First planned activity will be organized in November 2023 in Belgrade. During the Round Table  on Patient Rights, one session will be attributed to Patient Safety. As, SEEHN and RHDC on ACQI of HC are following WHO initiatives and Action Plan for Patient Safety, as a strategic priority for modern health care, there is also one more activity planned as a Round Table, also in Belgrade, with a topic on raising the Patent Safety in the first quarter of 2024.

¹ _{For Bosnia and Herzegovina, health care is in jurisdiction of Republic of Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, there are two focal points in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one from Republic of Srpska and one from Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina}

A highly important conference took place on August 31, 2023, under the title “Equity in Healthcare: Empowering nurses and midwives in communities – Integrating global and local expertise”.  The event served as a platform for discussions and explorations in the field of improving healthcare quality, with a focus on the essential role of nurses and midwives in ensuring equitable healthcare.

Officials and representatives from national, regional, and local health authorities, healthcare institution directors, managers of healthcare facilities, as well as representatives from the National Council of Nurses, Midwives, and Medical Assistants attended the event.

The conference began with an online address from the Minister of Health, Prof. Univ. Dr. Alexandru Rafila, who reiterated support for the nursing and midwifery profession by emphasizing the importance of responsibility in medical practice, along with the need to enhance education and professional training quality.

The topics discussed included the importance of international expertise in the professional development of nurses and midwives, as well as innovative approaches to improve the quality of healthcare in communities. The conference agenda featured a high-level opening panel and two thematic sessions.

The first thematic session focused on the importance of international perspectives, expertise and experience in promoting the work of nurses and midwives.

The representatives from the WHO Regional Office for Europe led session 1: International Perspectives. The session included the Chief Nurse from Israel from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Leadership and Governance in Nursing and Midwifery; the social and health policies advisor to Princess Muna al Hussein; the Secretary-General of the Jordan Nursing Council and the Director of the Secretariat of the South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN).

Dr Dasic structured her intervention around three points: SEEHN overview, recent examples of the SEEHN implemented projects focused on nursing and  investment in the mental health and well-being of nurses and midwives as they play the essential role in the community; they represent the backbone of a healthcare system and are over 50% of the healthcare workforce. Therefore, the establishment of the SEEHN RHDC for Nursing and Midwifery hosted by the Order of Nurses and Midwifes from Romania is the big step ahead to advance and empower the nursing and midwifery at the SEE regional level.

The second session addressed essential topics for improving the quality of healthcare in the community. Themes explored included health prevention and promotion, understanding social and behavioural perspectives in managing anti-vaccine attitudes, enhancing the personal resilience and mental health of healthcare professionals, and identifying innovative approaches in maternal, sexual, and reproductive health.

This conference marked a significant moment in promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange among healthcare experts with the aim of developing innovative solutions to improve healthcare regionally and globally.

A wide array of participants – Representatives from SEEHN Secretariat, WHO Regional Office for Europe, WHO Country Office Romania, WHO CC in Israel, SEEHN RHDC on Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Board of the Order of Nurses and Midwives from Romania gathered on 29 August at Olimp in Romania to discuss the draft roadmap for the newly established SEEHN RHDC for nursing and midwifery. The inclusive dialogue intended to create the longstanding partnership among actors that have a common objective and different scope and levels of intervention with the ultimate aim to improve nursing and midwifery in the SEE region and beyond.
The Order of Nurses and Midwives from Romania is the host of the SEEHN RHDC for Nursing and Midwifery. This governance structure was approved following the nomination by the Ministry of Health of Romania, the minister Dr Alexandru Rafila and the Order of Nurses Board approval and the approval within the 46th SEEHN Plenary Meeting in Albania, Tirana, held on 4-5 June 2023.
The next important step now is to create a SEEHN network of focal points on nursing and midwifery. This structure shall bring the grassroots needs on which priorities the SEEHN RHDC on Nursing and Midwifery shall focus in the immediate and medium term.
The deliberations touched upon the governance structure, priority setting, complementarity of work among different partners, future funding and fundraising opportunities in a synergy at the regional level.
Finally, the meeting set up the scene for a knowledge broker in nursing and midwifery hosted by the Regional Health Development Center in Romania, bringing valuable experience advancing nursing and midwifery to optimally contribute to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and other population health goals.