3–4 July 2014, San Marino, San Marino

Countries in the WHO European Region with populations under 1 million – Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro and San Marino – will take part in a two-day meeting convened by WHO/Europe and hosted by San Marino. The aim is to foster the implementation of the Health 2020 framework in such countries by improving cooperation between them.

In 2012, San Marino signed an agreement with WHO/Europe to develop a strategic platform to improve investment for health and development for small-population countries in the Region. The 2014 meeting will bring these countries together for the first time to share knowledge and best practices on policies and strategies to promote health and well-being.

Representatives will describe how their countries’ national health strategies and plans are aligned with Health 2020.

The “Review of social determinants and the health divide in the WHO European Region. Final report” will be presented in a session dedicated to the action that the 8 participating countries can take to improve health equity.

Discussions will also cover some of the key elements required to implement Health 2020 in countries with populations below 1 million, such as: whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, intersectoral action, health information and data collection.

Meeting outcomes

The meeting is expected to result in:

• an agreement to develop a dedicated platform for learning and sharing of experience in implementing Health 2020; and
• intercountry capacity-building events to address Health 2020’s strategic objectives and priorities, which will be open to all participating countries and cover topics defined at the meeting.