The WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens, in collaboration with the WHO Country Office in Greece and the Greek Patients Association, is hosting the first-ever Athens Patients’ Forum on 20 September 2024 in the capital of Greece. Following the celebrations of World Patient Safety Day, this Forum will focus on quality of care and patient safety within the Greek context.
Background
The pandemic, armed conflicts, natural disasters, and other emergencies have led to what Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, calls the “health permacrisis,” underscoring the need for resilience and readiness in national health systems within and beyond Europe. Challenges such as fragmented health services, lack of coordination, discontinuity of care, underutilization, limited resources (particularly human resources), and suboptimal quality of care and patient safety have become increasingly critical.
Inspired by the WHO European Programme of Work, 2020–2025 – “United Action for Better Health”, and the WHO Regional Director for Europe’s vision of leaving no one behind, WHO/Europe identified the need to support countries in their efforts to combat this permacrisis and create high-quality health-care systems.
In line with this vision, WHO/Europe is working with Greece under the National Development Programme (NDP) 2021–2025 to restructure Greece’s national health system. This Forum is part of the broader Development and Implementation of a Framework for Quality Care (HEALTH-IQ) project, launched in mid-2023 to address these challenges.
About the Forum
The Athens Patients’ Forum promises to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of health care in Greece by ensuring that patient safety and quality of care remain central to health-care improvement initiatives, paving the way for a more patient-centred health-care system. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, including health-care providers, policy-makers, patient advocacy groups, and international experts, the Forum will facilitate a multidisciplinary dialogue essential for comprehensive health-care reform.
Specifically, the Forum aims to enhance patient experience and safety in health care by fostering a network for sharing best practices and insights, addressing reforms, exploring innovative approaches, and developing recommendations for policy-makers and providers. It promotes patient involvement, integrates health improvements into national policies, and encourages the adoption of innovative health practices.
Event details
On 20 September, distinguished attendees, including members of the Greek Prime Minister’s Cabinet, the Minister and Alternate Minister of Health of Greece, and representatives from WHO/Europe, will convene for a one-day meeting at the Athens Conservatoire. Additionally, comprehensive coverage by local media outlets is anticipated.
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