In March 2022, the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens, Greece, launched a special programme to improve the quality of mental health care for children and adolescents.

The European Programme on the Quality of Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents was established in collaboration with the WHO Pan-European Mental Health Coalition and the Government of Greece.

This initiative involves close collaboration with stakeholders to conduct evidence reviews to understand and update priorities for quality improvement in child and adolescent mental health care. Key activities include:

• creation of set of quality standards for child and adolescent mental health, currently being updated based on consultation;
• engagement of young members of the WHO Pan-European Mental Health Coalition to develop priorities, formulate a strategy for youth engagement in the Coalition, and encourage participation of children, adolescents and young people in mental health service design and delivery;
• implementation of a platform for Member States to address challenges and share best practices through multiple international and country meetings;
• hosting of a repository of innovative solutions to overcome barriers hindering the delivery of quality care;
• enhancing of data on child and adolescent mental health through evidence reviews and sharing of research initiatives; and
• support to Member States to improve the quality of care for child and adolescent mental health, including a focus on Greece and a joint initiative with the United Nations Children’s Fund across Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia.