C 2| Workshop

Room
Paternot salle n°40 (neben dem Auditorium PATERNOT)

Theme
Primary care

Title
Primary Health Care and NCDs in Eastern Europe: Where do we stand and where to go?

Chair
Kaspar Wyss

Affiliation
Swiss TPH & Interest Group Global Health Public Health Schweiz

Abstract

Background: 

Over the past two decades health systems in the Balkans and Eastern Europe have undergone substantial changes in relation to their financing and the way how services are delivered to the population. In many countries a shift from hospital centred to primary health care focused systems have taken place: the number of hospital beds and hospitals were reduced in an important way and family doctors sometimes embedded in family medicine teams are today the first point of contact to deliver essential services to the population. At the same time Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), such as cardio-vascular disease or diabetes, have become more predominant and are today responsible for a significant share of the burden of disease in these countries. A range of countries have thus foster interlinkages and collaborations between the health and social sector and offer today approaches to PHC emphasing an inclusive and patient centered approach to primary care for chronically ill.


Objectives: 
The workshop proposed to be organized by the Global Health Interest Group of Public Health Switzerland, shall allow participants to get familiar with recent experiences in countries of Eastern Europe in strengthening primary health care services and interlinkages with social care. The main objectives of the workshop are: 

  • Achievement and challenges to primary health care delivery in the Balkans and Eastern Europe 
  • Innovative approaches to interconnecting social care in primary health care settings
  • Future of primary health care in the Balkans and Eastern Europe with special emphasis of service delivery in relation to NCDs and chronically ill.

The workshop shall consist of three experts presenting the latest available information from the field on current initiatives at local and national level, and discuss these questions with the audience. This shall be followed by a panel discussion. We have contacted the following persons to present and intervene as panellists:

  • Dr Thomas Vogel (HUG): Nurse strengthening for better PHC services in Bosnia & Herzegovina: achievements and challenges
  • Dr Besim Nuri: Home and social care for chronically ill in Albania 
  • Ms. Tatiana Dnestrean PhD: Implementing patient-centred care at community level in Moldova