Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Danica Grujičić visiting the WHO Regional Office for Europe

Given that Serbia is making efforts to achieve universal health care, the Minister of Health, prof. Dr. Danica Grujičić traveled to Copenhagen, to the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, which is the first such visit of the Serbian Minister of Health to this Office in the last 12 years.

It was the first personal meeting of the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Henry P. Kluge and Minister Grujičić, who was accompanied by Dr. Fabio Scan, special envoy of the WHO regional director for the Western Balkans.

The key issue on the agenda was to better define the scope of future cooperation on an integrated model of primary health care (PHC) for Serbia, which implies a range of health services including mental health care, as well as a greater focus on combating non-communicable diseases such as diseases related to tobacco use .

"Serbia is proud of its achievements in the last ten years when it comes to infrastructure and the construction of new health institutions, but now is the time to focus on the organization and improvement of health care, especially primary health care," said Minister Grujičić.

Taking into account the lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic, another priority issue related to further strengthening the resilience of the Serbian health system in order to be better prepared to respond to all future emergency situations, which the WHO and UNDP offices in Serbia will support with funds from the EU funds.

"The WHO Regional Office for Europe praised Serbia for adopting what I call a two-track approach to public health: better preparation for the increasingly demanding emergency situations that we know are coming in this age of permanent crisis, while at the same time trying to keep the health system can provide basic, day-to-day health services to everyone," said Dr. Kluge.

In the next six months, the WHO will support the establishment of the so-called a "pilot project for the improvement of primary health care" in Serbia, with a focus on the investment in human resources needed to provide expanded services, together with a radical shift in the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases, including cancer, together with improved access to mental health programs, giving the population enable more affordable health services, closer to their homes.

WHO will also work with the Serbian authorities on aspects of health information systems management and access to health through an electronic system, as well as providing continued support to strengthening the capacity of the National Regulatory Body for the analysis of vaccines, drugs, blood supplies and blood products in order to better prepare Serbia for a full transfer of knowledge and technology for mRNA vaccines, along with the production of safe drugs and other products in accordance with the highest international standards.

Serbia, one of the 53 member states of the European region of the WHO, has expressed interest in more active involvement in the management of the World Health Organization through its role in the key governing bodies of the WHO.