Essential medicines save lives and improve health when they are available, affordable, of assured quality and properly used. Lack of access to essential medicines is one of the most serious global public health problems and many new medicines are becoming expensive even for the health systems of high- and middle-income countries. This policy brief focuses on the issues and challenges in access to medicines faced by the 11 countries of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Small Countries Initiative. Many of these countries’ challenges arise from or are aggravated because of the size of their pharmaceutical markets. Small countries have low negotiating power and country-specific requirements such as producing tailored health technology assessment (‎HTA)‎ and pricing and reimbursement dossiers, packaging and leaflets in local languages also decreases the appeal for marketing products in small countries. Furthermore, development of HTA, managed entry agreements and horizon scanning processes requires resources and specialized knowledge and skills often less available in small countries, leading to less favourable procurement terms for public payers. The strategy to address these issues and challenges is through voluntary cooperation, on joint horizon scanning, pooled demand and procurement, and HTA integration, which the Access to Novel Medicines Platform can support.

Experiences from countries in the WHO European Region show that planning for healthy, sustainable cities can be achieved locally but that this requires political will and leadership, a coherent vision, targeted financing, sustainable commitments at all levels of government and citizen engagement. An integrated approach, including collaboration between urban developers and environmental and health professionals, is necessary to address the current and future challenges to urban health and sustainability posed by environmental trends. “Boundary spanners” to connect different groups and expertise are key. This brief summarizes messages and lessons learnt on how local authorities across Europe can establish effective policies and interventions to provide healthy, sustainable environments for their citizens. It addresses the design and implementation of health-promoting urban policies that have been effective at local level, including both the challenges to be overcome and the enablers that should be maximized. The target readers of this brief are national, regional and local decision-makers and practitioners working in urban planning, environmental management and health promotion.

World Health Organization (‎WHO)‎ policy on universal health coverage states that both rehabilitation and palliative care are essential components of quality health services and should be integrated within health systems using a multiprofessional workforce. Rehabilitation in palliative care can deliver many benefits for people and health systems but access to interventions is limited by a range of barriers including limited resource, siloed organization of services and attitudes of professionals and funders. While integrated rehabilitation has been achieved in high income countries in health services for people with chronic long-term conditions or trauma, it remains underresourced and highly variable within palliative care services. This policy brief aims to understand how integrating rehabilitation in palliative care services may improve the quality, accessibility, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health services for people approaching end of life. It provides practical and actionable information and recommendations to support health ministers and leaders in health systems planning to integrate rehabilitation in palliative care services.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe mpox policy brief series summarizes policy recommendations, knowledge and interim technical guidance on key policy areas related to the mpox public health emergency of international concern in the WHO European Region. The first two briefs in the series provide an overarching set of considerations for the mpox response and for planning related to vaccination against mpox. Following a series of consultations with global experts, WHO has begun using a new preferred term “mpox” as a synonym for monkeypox and has changed the policy brief series name accordingly. Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while “monkeypox” is phased out. This third policy brief in the series describes how behavioural and cultural insights may be used to support broader mpox control and elimination strategies in countries. Such an approach requires carefully tailored policies, interventions and communication, based on an understanding of the behaviours, perceptions and context of priority populations, including health workers.

The Health 2020 policy framework has been adopted by all Member States of the WHO European Region in order to address Europe’s great social and health challenges, calling upon the health sector to reach out to, and work with, all the various sectors and parties in the continuous work of improving people’s health and well-being. Investing in transport plays an important role in determining health throughout the life-course. The transport sector is crucial to opportunities for participation in society, sustainable development, preventing injuries and disease and promoting health as well as the quality and liveability of the environment. By working together, health and transport can contribute significantly to individuals, communities and societies, reduce inequalities and support human development and high-quality, liveable environments, not only improving good health and well-being but also enhancing sustainable transport and fostering healthy and resilient communities and economies.