Towards a common public health strategy for the region of South Eastern Europe

Aim

A seminar organised in the framework of the Public Health Collaboration in South Eastern Europe programme (PH-SEE), Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, 23–28 August 2004, aimed to answer the question: Is there a real need for a regional public health policy framework in South Eastern Europe (SEE)? The answer is probably yes because the specific situation in the SEE region has to be taken into account for the development of relevant and realistic public health goals.

Methods

To evaluate the current situation in the SEE region, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) methodology was applied. A set of key messages and recommendations have been formulated. Based on the priorities identified and agreed upon, PH-SEE experts formulated five goals.

Results

The result of very intensive work was a framework for a regional SEE public health strategy being drafted during the seminar. An initial 5-year term was established beginning in 2005. This framework represents only a first step towards an officially agreed upon regional strategy framework.

Conclusions

The purpose of that exercise was to demonstrate the benefits of regional collaboration by using the technical competence and experience of public health professionals in the region. Moreover, the harmonisation with European Union (EU) public health standards and policies must be considered in health policy development in the region.