World Health Organization Country Office in Greece

Today is #WorldTBDay! #TB is the world’s deadliest infectious killer. In 2023, TB caused an estimated 1.25 million deaths globally. Everyone has a role to play in the efforts against TB. We must Commit, Invest, and Deliver to #EndTB. #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA

🦷 Oral health remains a significant public health challenge — both in Greece and across the globe. In 2019, nearly 466 million people in the WHO European Region were affected by major oral diseases - the highest prevalence among all WHO regions. In Greece, 12.1% of the population reported unmet needs for dental care in 2022, while excessive sugar consumption, the slow uptake of preventive policies and tobacco use are among the main barriers for improvement. These issues were highlighted today by the WHO Athens Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety at the 1st Panhellenic Dental Forum, alongside the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis and Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Marios Themistocleous. Oral health is a priority for WHO, as it is essential to overall health and well-being. Oral health also serves as a key indicator of broader health inequities that must be addressed. Priority areas for action are: 🔹Ensuring access to essential services: Oral health services, free at the point of delivery, particularly for children and vulnerable population. 🔹Reaching communities through schools: Strengthen health promotion and prevention by engaging schools and local networks to reach those not accessing care. 🔹Investing in the oral health workforce: Expand and support the workforce, especially in rural and underserved areas, to reduce inequalities in service delivery. 🔹Addressing root causes: Tackle social and commercial determinants such as high sugar consumption, marketing of unhealthy products, and tobacco use, particularly among children. We need to make sure that everyone, everywhere has access to high-quality oral health services. 💙 A special thank you to the President of the Hellenic Dental Federation, Athanasios Devliotis, for the opportunity to engage in an important discussion on oral health. #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice #OralHealth WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA Lenio Capsaskis

Access to timely, high-quality mental health care is essential for the well-being of children and young people, their families, and communities. Delays or gaps in care can have lasting consequences. 💔 In response to the growing need for high-quality mental health care services for children and young people, WHO/Europe through its Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens and the Mental Health Flagship team, will launch the first-ever WHO Quality Standards for Child and Youth Mental Health Care, developed in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders to provide a comprehensive vision of what high quality care looks like. 🌍💡 🗓️ 27 March ⏰ 11:00 ECT/10:00 CET Register now and join us on 27 March to explore the standards together! 👉 https://bit.ly/3DY0CTJ #WHOGreece #QoCOffice #QualityStandards WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA Ledia Lazëri Dr Jennifer Hall Penny Kalpaxi Dr Anastasia Giannaki Anastasia (Nansia) Gatopoulou Raffaella Sibilio

Vaccination, screening and high-quality treatment can eliminate cervical cancer and save lives! Today, the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens had the opportunity to participate in the launch of the Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign for Migrant Women and Girls, organized by IOM - UN Migration in Greece under the Ippokratis I project. It was a significant moment to highlight the crucial role of cancer prevention and early detection policies in protecting the health of women and girls. The WHO European Region is getting closer to a future in which women do not die of cervical cancer. With greater efforts to increase vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer screening and treatment, that future could arrive much sooner, saving the lives of many more young women in the coming years. At WHO, we remain committed to supporting Greece and our partners in ensuring that all women and girls—including migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers—have access to the healthcare they deserve: equitable, timely, and high-quality. It was inspiring to engage in discussions alongside colleagues from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency Greece, IOM, MSF Greece - Médecins Sans Frontières Greece, and Médecins du Monde Greece - Γιατροί του Κόσμου Ελλάδας, reinforcing our collective efforts to improve healthcare access. 💡 Collaboration is key in addressing these challenges. Together, we can fight for the health and well-being of every woman and girl. WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA

We're seeing our highest number of measles cases in 25 years. 127,350 measles cases were reported in the WHO European Region for 2024—nearly double the number reported in 2023. And more than half of the cases reported required hospitalization. Read the media release: https://bit.ly/3DFFK3w "Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call," says Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. "Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security. As we shape our new regional health strategy for Europe and Central Asia, we cannot afford to lose ground. Every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities...The measles virus never rests—and neither can we." Measles cases in the Region had been in decline since 1997, when some 216,000 were reported, reaching a low of 4,440 cases in 2016. However, a resurgence was seen in 2018 and 2019 with 89,000 and 106,000 cases reported. Following a backsliding in immunization coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, cases rose significantly again in 2023 and 2024. Vaccination rates in many countries are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, increasing the risk of outbreaks. UNICEF and WHO are working together with governments, and with support from partners including the European Union and the GAVI Alliance, to prevent and respond to measles outbreaks. We engage with communities, train health care workers and strengthen immunization programmes. Measles is a preventable disease. Let's work together to ensure nobody in our Region has to suffer from it. #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA

Strengthening Health Management Capacity in Greece The WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens, through the HEALTH-IQ project, has launched the "Training of Trainers on Health Management and Leadership". This three-day session, hosted in collaboration with the Greek Agency for Quality Assurance in Health S.A. (AQAH S.A.) and the NOVA National School of Public Health, marks the beginning of a transformative journey aimed at enhancing healthcare management skills. 🎓 Between 10-13 March, future trainers from the seven Health Regions in Greece, academic institutions, and members of AQAH S.A. have gathered to learn from experts on leadership and change management in healthcare. The first of the four training sessions focused on the essential role of leadership in driving transformative change within healthcare systems. Participants explored strategies for guiding teams through transitions, addressing resistance, and fostering a culture of innovation. Through interactive case studies, they collaboratively analyzed real-world scenarios, enhancing their practical skills in change management and team inspiration within dynamic healthcare settings. 💡 As we continue our efforts, we are confident that this initiative will foster impactful and sustainable improvements in healthcare quality and management across Greece. 🤝 #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA Mafaten Chaouali Joana Seringa Alexandre Lourenço Lenio Capsaskis Christos Triantafyllou Anastasia Papachristou Anastasia Ntikoudi ΟΔΙΠΥ (ODIPY) Οργανισμός Διασφάλισης της Ποιότητας στην Υγεία Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

💬 "We need to measure quality and define quality as the outcomes that matter to patients. That is good quality. So, a course is necessary because we are in the process of redefining what healthcare quality means", noted Stefan Larsson, Chairman and Co-founder, International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement. Building on the success of the first-ever WHO/Europe Autumn School on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in 2023, the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens hosted the second edition to further develop knowledge and expertise in this field. 💡 Co-organized with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Education, Research, and Evaluation of Safety and Quality in Healthcare at the NOVA National School of Public Health (Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade Nova de Lisboa), the second course was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 7 to 11 October 2024. The course provided participants with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the complex dimensions and best practices in the field of quality of care and patient safety through engaging panel discussions, interactive lectures and collaborative workshops. Throughout the week, WHO representatives, key health decision-makers, and global experts came together to share their experience in policy development for quality improvement and patient safety through collaborative small-group exercises. 🤝 A huge thank you to everyone who participated, as well as to our interviewees, for making this course such a great success! #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Universidade Nova de Lisboa Válter R Fonseca Christos Triantafyllou Lenio Capsaskis Ândrea Figueiredo Paulo Sousa Blerta Maliqi Pedro Delgado Dimitra Panteli Irina Papieva Stefan Larsson Dragana Mijović Florin-Valentin Ciocan MARIA PETRODASKALAKI

Cancer remains a major public health challenge in Greece and worldwide. A comprehensive, coordinated approach is essential to enhance prevention, early detection, high-quality treatment, and palliative care. At The Economist 5th Annual Greece Cancer Summit, the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens contributed to discussions on the importance of a National Cancer Plan - an evidence-based strategy to improve cancer care and address existing gaps. What we focused on: ✅ Strengthening prevention efforts: Reducing exposure to key risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy diets through policies, taxation, and public health initiatives. 📊 Expanding screening and early detection: Implementing high-quality, population-based screening programs for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer to enable timely diagnosis and treatment. 🏥 Ensuring high-quality cancer care: Promoting safe, evidence-based treatments, equitable access to services, and integration of palliative care to improve patient outcomes. 🧠 Comprehensive patient support: Addressing mental health, psychosocial needs, and overall well-being as part of holistic cancer care. 🤝 Enhancing collaboration and data systems: Strengthening multi-sectoral partnerships, improving data collection, and ensuring quality assurance to reduce inequalities and guide policy decisions. Strengthening cancer prevention and treatment in Greece is critical to ensuring quality of care and patient safety for all. WHO/Europe remains committed to supporting national efforts to improve outcomes for cancer patients and their families. 💙 #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA

“I believe you. I wish all medical people knew how powerful these words are.”    Investing in health workers‘ ability to tackle violence against women and girls, is crucial.     Why?  To save lives. To ensure fair, respectful treatment. To advance gender equality.  #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice #InternationalWomensDay WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA

💡 Empowering early career researchers through the Young Researchers Forum Last week, the WHO Young Researchers Forum (YRF) hosted an insightful webinar on "Career Development & Overcoming Challenges," organized by the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens. The session provided early career researchers with practical advice and inspiration, focusing on navigating challenges, building a fulfilling career, and contributing meaningfully to child and adolescent mental health research. Key takeaways included: 🔹 Practical strategies for building a successful career in mental health research 🔹 Insights on overcoming challenges as an early career researcher 🔹 Perspectives on different career paths into global mental health and quality of care If you are not yet a member of the YRF and would like to join, you can register here: https://bit.ly/registerYRF #WHOGreece #AthensQoCOffice #QoC #CAH #MH WHO Regional Office for Europe JOAO BREDA Dr Jennifer Hall Dr Anastasia Giannaki Penny Kalpaxi Lars Dumke Tatiana Taylor Salisbury Anastasia (Nansia) Gatopoulou