WONCA Europe proudly confirms its active participation in the critical World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) Non-State Actor (NSA) Event 2025, held on October 27, 2025, at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The event, titled "Shaping Health Futures Together: NSA Engagement for EPW2 and Ageing is Living," served as an essential precursor to the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC75), bringing together key Non-State Actors, like WONCA Europe, to provide input on the future health agenda for the European Region.
🎯 Focusing on Primary Care's Strategic Role
WONCA Europe was represented by Jose Miguel Bueno WONCA Europe Executive Board Member-at-Large, ensuring that the voice and expertise of family doctors were central to the discussions. The meeting had two main pillars directly impacting primary care:
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Second European Programme of Work (EPW2) 2026–2030 presented by WHO/Europe technical directors: Dr Gundo Weiler, Director Prevention and Health Promotion; Dr Ihor Perehinets, Director Health Security; Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director Health Systems and Dr Melitta Jakab, Head of Office, WHO European Center for Primary Health Care. This is the new five-year health compass for the WHO European Region. Discussions focused on how to maximize NSA collaboration to strengthen EPW2's core priorities, which prominently feature strengthening primary health care, prevention, and health promotion.
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Ageing is Living: A Strategy for Promoting a Lifetime of Health and Well-being (2026–2030): Organized and facilitated by the Division of Health Systems. Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, Director Health Systems and Dr Yongjie Yon, Technical Officer Ageing. Participants provided direct input on the draft strategy to tackle ageism, strengthen community-based care, and create age-friendly environments—all areas where General Practice plays a foundational role.
🎙️ WONCA Europe’s Key Messages
In the dialogue sessions, WONCA Europe’s representative emphasized that Family Medicine is the cornerstone for translating regional strategies into tangible community impact. Key contributions highlighted the necessity of:
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Prioritising Investment in Primary Care: Advocating for robust financial and workforce support for General Practice as the most efficient and equitable way to deliver EPW2 goals.
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Integrating Ageing-Focused Care: Stressing the GP's role in coordinating care for older persons, combating social isolation, and promoting healthy ageing within the community, aligning with the "Ageing is Living" strategy.
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Leveraging Digital Health: Encouraging the development of digital tools that genuinely support the GP-patient relationship and enhance, rather than overburden, primary care workflows.
"Our presence at the UN City event was vital," stated Dr. Bueno. "The new EPW2 and the 'Ageing is Living' strategy offer a fresh opportunity to embed strong, comprehensive Family Medicine/General Practice at the heart of European health systems. We ensure that WHO/Europe's agenda is not just aspirational, but practical, community-centred, and feasible for the family doctors who will implement it every day."
The insights gathered from this event will directly inform the final versions of the EPW2 and the Ageing Strategy, guiding health investments and political action across the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region for the next five years.