Small countries initiative

Small countries initiative

The WHO/Europe Small Countries Initiative is a network of 12 European countries with 2 million or less inhabitants: Andorra, Cyprus, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino and Slovenia.

The Small Countries Initiative started in 2013 as a laboratory for innovation and solutions for health-related needs in small countries.

Today the small countries face new challenges.

The objectives of the Initiative are to:

  • place health and well-being high on the key political agendas of small countries;
  • advocate the needs of small countries at the regional and international levels;
  • promote investment for health and well-being, leaving no one behind;
  • build a solutions platform for better population health and resilient health systems;
  • measure progresses.

This requires even stronger action - under the umbrella of the WHO European Programme of Work:

  • to protect people better against health emergencies, such as COVID19 
  • to strengthen health systems towards achievement of universal health coverage
  • to ensure healthy lives and well-being for people of all ages.

The Secretariat is housed at the WHO European Centre for Investment for Health and Development in Venice, Italy.


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Publications

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Report on the second meeting of the Coalition of Partners on Health and Tourism: Athens, Greece, 23– 24 May 2024

On 23–24 May 2024, the second meeting of the Coalition of Partners on Health and Tourism, coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the...

Regions for Health Network: catalogue of regions 2024, 2nd ed

This catalogue is a compilation of profiles of the regions participating in the Regions for Health Network (‎RHN)‎ in 2024. The purpose of the...

Childhood cancer in countries participating in the WHO Small Countries Initiative

Childhood cancers are the leading cause of death from disease among children and adolescents in countries of WHO Small Countries Initiative (‎SCI)‎,...

Documents

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The Small Countries Initiative is a political, technically informed initiative comprised of 12 countries with 2 million inhabitants or fewer in the WHO...

Report of the 4th meeting of the focal points of the Small Countries Health Information Network (SCHIN)

The fourth meeting of the focal points of the Small Countries Health Information Network (SCHIN) was hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe under...

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Events

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