WHO Regions for Health Network 26th annual meeting: strengthening societal resilience to deal with COVID-19 and climate change

iv, 46 p. ; From 25–28 October 2021, 80 speakers from 15 countries and 26 regions met at the 26th Annual Meeting of the Regions for Health Network (RHN), facilitated by the Government of Moscow, Russian Federation, a member of the Network. This was the first RHN annual meeting since the adoption of the new WHO European Programme of Work (EPW) and therefore offered a unique opportunity to discuss its priorities for RHN members. The meeting’s objectives were to review current and future joint priorities and activities and share lessons learnt on two specific themes: COVID-19 and universal health coverage; and healthier populations, with a specific focus on climate change and the environment. Discussions involved representatives from the regions, WHO experts and researchers. A strong need for cross-sectoral collaboration to build societal resilience in face of the threats of COVID-19 and climate change emerged from discussions during the four days of the meeting