Keywords
Citation
Morris, B. (2001), "European commission and World Health Organisation to intensify their co-operation", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 14 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2001.06214cab.005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
European commission and World Health Organisation to intensify their co-operation
European commission and World Health Organisation to intensify their co-operation
Keywords: Health, Risk, Education, Technology
In December 2000 Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Mr David Byrne, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, signed an agreement between their two institutions to strengthen and intensify their co-operation in the field of health in joint work to reduce the burden of avoidable mortality and morbidity, counter risks to health, improve health and health systems, and create the conditions for advances in knowledge and technology in the service of health.
WHO and the EU have been working together since 1982, and have achieved positive results in areas such as health research, development and humanitarian aid, environment, chemical products and food safety, surveillance of communicable diseases and health monitoring. The areas of co-operation between the two institutions include: generating, collecting, processing and disseminating authoritative information and data on health; developing methodologies and tools for health monitoring and disease surveillance, and effective responses to, in particular, malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, emerging diseases and anti-microbial resistance threats; strengthening communicable disease surveillance and improving responses; exchanging information and sharing experience on the evaluation of health effects, in particular on safety and health protection against physical, chemical, and biological agents, promoting health related research and technological development; mobilising and co-ordinating, where appropriate, resources for health interventions and co-operating in emergencies such as those resulting from natural catastrophes.
One of the top priorities in the strengthened co-operation will be the reduction of tobacco consumption through the negotiation, adoption and implementation of a framework Convention on tobacco control, as well as the exchange of information and dissemination of good practice on smoking abatement.