DUBROVNIK FORUM DUBROVNIK, Sept 2 (Hina) - Health ministers from seven countries-signatories to the Stability Pact for South-East Europe signed a declaration at the end of a two-day forum held in Dubrovnik over the past two days. The
declaration was signed by the health ministers of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania. The document emphasises the ministers' readiness to cooperate in making health protection available to more vulnerable social categories, improving mental health and the safety of transfusion medicine, developing the accessibility of free emergency help, strengthening the control of infectious diseases, making healthy food available and developing a regional network for the collection of social and health data. The ministers also agreed about legislative adjustment, which is a precondition for integration into the European Union. They warned about the negative effects of
DUBROVNIK, Sept 2 (Hina) - Health ministers from seven countries-
signatories to the Stability Pact for South-East Europe signed a
declaration at the end of a two-day forum held in Dubrovnik over the
past two days.
The declaration was signed by the health ministers of Croatia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and
Albania.
The document emphasises the ministers' readiness to cooperate in
making health protection available to more vulnerable social
categories, improving mental health and the safety of transfusion
medicine, developing the accessibility of free emergency help,
strengthening the control of infectious diseases, making healthy
food available and developing a regional network for the collection
of social and health data. The ministers also agreed about
legislative adjustment, which is a precondition for integration
into the European Union.
They warned about the negative effects of recent war conflicts,
unrest and economic problems on health and agreed that the
protection of human rights and vulnerable social groups should be
improved, which has been underlined in the declaration as well.
Croatian Health Minister Ana Stavljenic Rukavina said the
participants reached a consensus about health in South-East
European countries as an element of social stability in line with
WHO and Council of Europe standards. She stressed the importance of
harmonising the health of European populations because, she said,
disease knows no boundaries.
The ministers of other countries participating in the forum
expressed satisfaction with the declaration, pledging to continue
cooperating.
They spoke about problems in the provision of health care in their
respective countries and presented national public health
projects.
According to unofficial information, international
representatives and countries in the region have shown most
interest in Croatia's project on organising a regional centre for
public health education. If the project receives support, regional
studies from individual areas of public health could be organised
as of next year already, said Stipe Oreskovic, director of the
public health school 'Andrija Stampar' from Zagreb. The
implementation of the project would cost about five million US
dollars.
The Council of Europe's director-general for social cohesion,
Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, said the Council of Europe's Bank for
Reconstruction and Development set aside 1.5 million euros for new
projects which could be useful for some countries from the aspect of
social cohesion. The Council of Europe ministerial conference in
Oslo in 2003 will assess projects finished by that time. A decision
on the financing of individual projects will be made this autumn, at
the next meeting of the Stability Pact in Bucharest.
The head of the WHO Europe Office, Marc Danzon, said the Dubrovnik
forum contributed to the strengthening of peace in South-East
Europe.
The Dubrovnik forum gathered about 100 participants from some 15
countries.
(hina) rml