NDPHS Background paper (2) to 20th BSPC

NNoorrtthheerrnn DDiimmeennssiioonnPPaarrttnneerrsshhiipp iinn PPuubblliicc HHeeaalltthhaanndd SSoocciiaall WWeellll--bbeeiinnggNorthern Dimension Partnership inPublic Health and Social Well-being“Social welfare and health care” sector ofthe Northern Dimension policyA background paper20th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference28-30 August 2011, Helsinki, FinlandNDPHS – working together to improve people’s health and socialwell-beingI. IntroductionPublic health is an important factor in economic and demographic stability in the NorthernDimension area and an indispensable part in the efforts to achieve sustainable development.At the same time, however, non-communicable diseases and accidents as well as thespread of infectious diseases pose serious threat to our societies as they lead to highlevels of mortality, morbidity and loss of work ability and productivity.Consequently, “social welfare and health care, including prevention of communicable diseasesand life-style related diseases and promotion of cooperation between health and socialservices,” have been included as one of the priority sectors in the renewed NorthernDimension policy jointly adopted by the EU, Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation.The NDPHS, which operates within the framework of the Northern Dimension policy,provides a platform for advancing the work in this sector through a range of activities.These include, but are not limited to supporting regional initiatives and policy development aswell as stimulating and initiating project-based activities.Currently chaired by the Russian Federation and co-chaired by Finland, the Partnership wasestablished in 2003, and involves 11 governments, the European Commission and 8international organizations; Denmark takes part in the NDPHS as a Participant (cf. Annex).The NDPHS operates at several levels, the most important ones being the PartnershipAnnual Conference (held at the ministerial level every second year), the Committee of SeniorRepresentatives, the eight Expert and Task Groups and the Secretariat.II. Health is wealthHealth is an indivisible human right, but it is also an economic issue. European countriesdevote on average 8.3% of their GDP to health spending, and this figure will continue toincrease due health-related challenges such as ageing society, increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and new health threats. These costs can be contained and reducedwith timely and low-cost investments. It is important to recognize that proper investing inhealth today will lead to huge savings tomorrow. Our actions need to build upon thisknowledge.Tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet are the main riskfactors of non-communicable diseases, which cause no less than 86% of deaths and 77% ofthe disease burden in the WHO European Region. Europe is the heaviest drinking region inthe world, every second European is overweight or obese, every third European is smokingand only three percent of health expenditure is spent on prevention and public healthprogrammes. Consequently, by strengthening health promotion, it is possible to avoid, or atleast shift to an older age, most of the non-communicable diseases and thus make largesavings in national and everyone’s budgets.Investment in health is not only about containing future health care costs. It is an investmentin economic growth. Sufficient labour supply and high labour productivity are the keyelements of economic growth and health is of direct relevance to both of them. Persons ingood health are able and willing to enter the labour market and work longer or at least not toretire prematurely due their declining or poor health condition. Furthermore, healthy personsare more efficient and adaptable to change, thus more productive.NDPHS_background_paper_for_20th_BSPC.doc 1For changes to take place, a concerted action by multiple sectors and stakeholders isrequired. It includes a life-long, patient-focused approach in managing health and diseases,addressing social divide and other determinants of health, empowering communities andindividuals to acquire and maintain healthier lifestyles and adjusting the capacity of the healthcare systems to provide timely, effective and cost-efficient primary, secondary and tertiaryprevention services. Thus, “health in all policies” approach is the only way forward toachieve effective results.III. NDPHS – a partnership committed to achieving tangible results1. Focusing on objectives reflecting regional priorities; a new NDPHS StrategyThe Partnership works according to the provisions spelled out in the Declaration concerningthe establishment of the NDPHS (the Oslo Declaration).1 The Declaration lays the foundationfor the Partnership’s objectives, structure, role and practical functions, main priorities, financingmethods and guidelines for future development.Furthermore, following the outcomes of its five-year evaluation, in November 2009 the NDPHSadopted at the ministerial-level Partnership Annual Conference the new NDPHSStrategy, which builds around the “Vision of the NDPHS in 2013” and places focus onachieving specific, measurable and time-targeted objectives reflecting regionalpriorities. Eleven goals have been agreed upon, and within each of them at least oneconcrete and pragmatic regional action to be implemented no later than 2013 has beenspecified.2To ensure that the health and social well-being related activities in the Northern Dimensionarea would be implemented in a coordinated and efficient way and involve all relevant actors,the new NDPHS Strategy correlates with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.2. Recent activities and achievements of the PartnershipThe Partnership runs a wide array of concrete and pragmatic activities ranging from high-level ministerial dialogue, policy development, and project development and implementation, tonetworking solidification, expertise exchange, information production and dissemination, aswell as advocacy.The NDPHS actively took part in the development of a European Union Strategy for the BalticSea Region (EUSBSR),3 which was subsequently adopted by the European Council in October2009. At the European Commission’s invitation the NDPHS subsequently took a role of theLead Partner for the coordination of the health sub-area of Priority Area 12 of theEUSBSR Action Plan and is currently involved in its implementation.4 To that end, manyactions have been taken by the Partnership and several other regional actors have beenengaged in the implementation process.Examples of the recent and planned activities of the NDPHS include, but are not limited, to thefollowing:• A Seminar on project development and funding (organized in late 2010), whichbrought together various stakeholders from the region and a selected group of1 Available at www.ndphs.org/?doc,Oslo_Declaration.pdf.2 Cf. Goals, operational targets and indicators at www.ndphs.org/?about_ndphs#New_NDPHS_Strategy.3 The NDPHS contributed its views during regional consultation events and presented its position paper(available at www.ndphs.org/?database,view,paper,53).4 Although, the EU BSR Strategy is an internal EU strategy, the constructive cooperation with non-EUcountries has been most welcome in order to attain its objectives. As noted by the European Council,“the Northern Dimension framework provides the basis for the external aspects of cooperation in theBaltic Sea region.”NDPHS_background_paper_for_20th_BSPC.doc 2representatives of funding institutions and programs that could provide funding for theimplementation of proposed actions. Eleven project concepts were developed beforethe event and presented during it;• Development or facilitation of the regional flagship projects (e.g., a project on alcoholand drug prevention among youth, which is one of the flagship projects included in theEUSBSR Action Plan, as well as several other projects covering areas such asHIV/AIDS, healthy lifestyles, occupational safety and health);• Involvement of other regional stakeholders in the NDPHS-coordinated activities forpromoting and strengthening the regional cooperation in the field of health andsocial well-being;• Various actions aimed at improved coordination and facilitation of the regionalcooperation in the field of health and social well-being, among them theforthcoming regional event “Healthy lifestyles – the cornerstone of public health”to be held on 24 November 2011. The outcome of the event will be a NDPHS strategyon prevention of non-communicable diseases, which will aim to help translaterespective global and European policies into actions in our region. The strategy will besubmitted for adoption to the Partnership Annual Conference to be held at theministerial-level on 25 November 2011 in St. Petersburg, Russia.1More detailed information can be found on the NDPHS website at http://www.ndphs.org.1 Every year NDPHS progress and achievements are presented in detail in its annual progress reportsavailable at www.ndphs.org/?about_ndphs#Past_activitiesNDPHS_background_paper_for_20th_BSPC.doc 3AnnexNDPHS Partners and ParticipantPartner Countries Participant CountryCanada DenmarkEstoniaFinlandGermanyIcelandLatviaLithuaniaNorwayPolandRussiaSwedenEuropean CommissionPartner OrganizationsBarents Euro-Arctic CouncilBaltic Sea States Sub-regional CooperationCouncil of the Baltic Sea StatesInternational Labour OrganisationInternational Organization for MigrationNordic Council of MinistersJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDSWorld Health OrganizationNDPHS_background_paper_for_20th_BSPC.doc 4