Supporting health leadership for the present while building health leadership for the future is at the heart of the Pan-European Leadership Academy (ELA) Tier 2 demonstration project, which closed last week in Copenhagen.
Since March, 8 mid-career professionals from health ministries and affiliated institutions from Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have been working side by side with WHO/Europe colleagues on specific technical deliverables to be implemented in their home countries, while enhancing their transformational leadership competencies.
Their work demonstrates how ELA is strengthening relationships and enabling new and enhanced collaborations across diverse technical areas, including: noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and control, strengthening the public health workforce, behavioural and cultural insights to address NCD risk factors, implementing the global standard for diagnostic health information (ICD-11), scaling up access to rehabilitation services and assistive technologies, strengthening infectious disease surveillance and reporting, improving the provision of specialized care, and addressing zoonotic diseases through a One Health approach.
“This experience has been enriching for everyone involved. We learn a lot from each other, and we will continue to do so. Your work over the past 3 months is a testament to your commitment to your countries and the populations you serve, to leave no one behind – and for this I thank you deeply,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, expressing his appreciation to the participants of ELA’s Tier 2 demonstration project at a closing event in the Regional Office in Copenhagen on 17 May.
“The peer-to-peer component has been especially important for this Tier 2 programme, and we celebrate the joint technical work, which supports immediate technical delivery at country level and deepens collaboration with WHO/Europe,” said Gabrielle Jacob, Special Advisor on Transformation and Organization Development for WHO/Europe and lead for the ELA project.
Speaking on behalf of the group in a closing statement, Diana Andreasyan (Armenia) said, “In a few days we will be returning home with a treasure trove of skills and knowledge, and grand ideas and projects awaiting implementation. This project will contribute to building professional and individual capacity in each of our countries and open up new horizons for further cooperation”.
A full evaluation of both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 ELA projects is now underway and the evaluation outcomes will be reported to Member States at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, to be held on 24–26 October 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan.