Event highlights
As part of the European Union (EU)-supported health sector reform efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), WHO, in close collaboration with health authorities, organized 2 high-level workshops in Banja Luka and Sarajevo on 25–27 June 2025 focused on further strengthening primary health care grounded in community-based health promotion and disease prevention.
The events gathered health leaders and practitioners from both entities of BiH – the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska – alongside international experts from Slovenia and the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Participants shared experiences and worked jointly to craft roadmaps towards integrated, multidisciplinary, people-centred primary health care services across the country.
Minister of Health of the Federation of BiH Nediljko Rimac emphasized that the aim of the workshop was to support the development of a new model of primary care: “We have guests from Slovenia whose successful models we want to study and adapt into our system, particularly their strong focus on disease prevention and the development of health promotion centres.”
Assistant Minister of Health of the Federation of BiH Goran Čerkez noted that the transformation of primary care in the entity is a long-term process: “Today’s presentation of the Slovenian model is an opportunity for discussion among directors of health centres, public health institutes, insurance funds and cantonal ministries. Our goal is to reach a consensus on the future direction of primary health care development, because primary care is the foundation of the health system.”
In Banja Luka, the international workshop underscored that while Republika Srpska has a well organized primary care system, continuous improvement is essential. Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Republika Srpska Alen Šeranić stated that their goal is to bring the health system closer to people, which requires engagement with communities. “We have enabled health centres to establish health promotion and disease prevention units, which go beyond health services by involving other sectors to ensure a truly multidisciplinary and intersectoral response,” he said.
Gian Matteo Apuzzo of the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care affirmed WHO’s support for BiH’s reform path, highlighting that primary health care is key to health system transformation: “We are encouraged by the reforms undertaken thus far and expect further steps towards improved service delivery, including digitalization, education and enhanced care in health centres.”
WHO Special Representative in BiH Erwin Cooreman reinforced the message that primary care is the entry point for people. He noted, “BiH has solid foundations – family doctors, nurses and established relationships. It’s now time to elevate these services to a higher level of responsiveness and readiness.”
Cooreman underlined the importance of linking PHC with hospitals and communities through comprehensive records and prevention strategies, especially for chronic disease management.
Antonija Poplas Susič, General Director of the Ljubljana Health Centre, presented Slovenia’s model of integrated health promotion and disease prevention centres, initiated in 2011. “We introduced registered nurses into family doctor teams and began structured prevention programmes targeting individuals with risk factors or chronic illnesses. These protocols now guide our long-term patient management,” she explained.
Her presentation resonated with health professionals in BiH, including Darja Tadić, Head Nurse of the Multidisciplinary Centre for Health Promotion and the Prevention of Diseases, Conditions and Injuries at the Doboj Health Centre, who emphasized the importance of adopting a similar model adapted to the local context.
“I believe that these centres should be established following the example from Slovenia, particularly in the area of health promotion. Prevention, of course, remains primarily the responsibility of family medicine services, although it is also integrated into the work of the Multidisciplinary Centre. However, health promotion is precisely what such a centre is built around,” Tadić pointed out.
Organized under the WHO-led, EU-funded project “EU support to the health sector reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, these workshops mark a significant step in the country’s efforts to build a modern, resilient health system that is responsive to community needs and informed by international best practices.
Event notice
In collaboration with the health authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and with support from the European Union (EU), WHO in BiH is organizing a 3-day international workshop focusing on the development of a community-based model of primary health care.
The workshops are scheduled to take place in Banja Luka on 25–26 June, and Sarajevo on 26–27 June. They will bring together key partners and stakeholders from across BiH, including representatives from entity and cantonal health ministries, primary health care professionals, and international experts.
The workshops aims to build on the outcomes of a recent study visit to Slovenia by sharing experiences related to primary health care reform, while fostering multisectoral and community-based approaches to health promotion and disease prevention.
They also seek to support the development of pilot interventions that will strengthen integrated, people-centred primary health care services, and to finalize roadmaps for the implementation of health promotion and disease prevention centres rooted in local communities.
These events are part of the WHO-led, EU-funded initiative to support the health sector in BiH, with the goal of delivering accessible, equitable and quality health care to all.