Hosted by the Government of Lower Austria, the 30th annual meeting of the WHO European Regions for Health Network (RHN) will centre around the theme “Better health begins in the regions: building bridges, creating solutions”.
This milestone meeting will gather regional health leaders, policy-makers, experts and practitioners from across the WHO European Region. In providing an opportunity to reflect on the enduring partnership of the RHN, the meeting will shape a vision for strengthening regional health governance in alignment with the second European Programme of Work (2026–2030) (EPW2) and the evolving needs of communities across Europe.
Set in the inspiring backdrop of St Pölten, the meeting will serve to:
- honour the legacy of the RHN in championing innovation, equity and regionally tailored health solutions that empower communities and deliver health and well-being;
- strengthen the political leadership of the RHN by bringing together political leaders, policy-makers and technical experts to shape the future of health and well-being at the subnational level;
- showcase solutions by highlighting regions as innovation labs exploring a wide range of themes that reflect their diversity and dynamism – such as healthy ageing through a life-course approach, pioneering in prevention and integrated care, the alignment of social-care and health-care services, cross-border public health, gender-sensitive health systems, digital transformation and communication in health, and health and tourism;
- promote learning by doing through interactive dialogue, skills labs, site visits and peer-to-peer exchange designed to equip regions with actionable insights and tools; and
- strengthen the shared voice of the regions to amplify their role in shaping the EPW2 and advancing global health goals.
Established in 1992, the RHN is a platform through which more than 40 regions and many associated partners and Member States across the WHO European Region work together, sharing health-related evidence, intelligence and good practice. Its aims are to:
- ensure better health and well-being for people of all ages, across all sectors and in all settings;
- secure universal access to quality care without financial hardship;
- protect against health emergencies; and
- empower health through science, data and innovation.