Pöördumine

Kick-off and workshop of the project “Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefitting of temporary protection in Member States” jointly supported by IOM and WHO Proposed dates: 6 December 2023 Location: Brussels, Belgium Event format and purpose This is a one-day event that brings together European Commission (EC) DG Sante, IOM and WHO for the joint project “Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefitting of temporary protection in Member States”, within the EU4Health Work Programme for 2023; and representatives of the Ministry of Health (MoH), IOM and WHO from ten countries where the project will be implemented. These countries are Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. The event will officially kick off the joint project through media information. In workshop-style sessions, the event will present the different areas covered by the project and provide opportunity to country representatives from MoH, IOM and WHO to present their tailored joint country workplans in supporting the countries of implementation to reinforce the EU health systems to ensure access to services for the population from Ukraine benefitting of the Temporary Protection Directive. The event will be in English. Context Since the war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, more than 5.8 million refugees from Ukraine have been displaced across Europe1. On 4 March 2022, the European Council adopted the Temporary Protection Directive for those fleeing war in Ukraine to ease the EU Member States’ response to the current situation, which currently runs to March 2024. In March 2023, 4 million refugees from Ukraine had been registered for Temporary Protection across the EU2. The rights for beneficiaries of Temporary Protection include access to, inter alia, health services. The EC, via the EU4Health Work Programme for 2023 workplan, designated IOM and WHO to implement joint actions (HS-CA-2-70-02 and HS-CA-2-70-01, respectively) with the overall objective to reinforce the health systems in the countries of implementation to guarantee the access to health 1 UNHCR data portal. Ukraine refugee situation. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine, accessed 31 August 2023 2 Infographic – Refugees from Ukraine in the EU. European Council. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/ukraine-refugees-eu/, accessed 31 August 2023 services for displaced refugees from Ukraine benefitting of the Temporary Protection Directive, and to mitigate the potential stress that the current situation may be causing on these health systems. As per EU4Health workplan, the implementation of both actions will be conducted in full coordination and complementarity between IOM and WHO. More specifically, the actions aim to achieve the following deliverables:  Support authorities responsible for health to adjust the health coverage and meet the health needs of refugees from Ukraine benefitting of the Temporary Protection Directive;  Analyze the impact of the arrival of refugees on health systems, as well as the barriers and enablers to access health services’  Provide health mediators to support refugees navigate the health system in the host country’  Coordinate integrated services that support the health needs of Ukraine into the national health system of the host country’  Establish and/or strengthen networks of health workers and support their education needs’  Study the integration of displaced health workers from Ukraine into the national health workforce of the host country’  Increase the vaccination coverage among displaced adults and children’  Establish health promotion programmes adapted to the reality of displaced persons. Participants Representatives of the following stakeholders:  EU DG Sante  Ministries of Health of the ten countries of implementation  IOM Headquarters, IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO and IOM Regional Office for South-Eastern, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Country Offices  WHO Headquarters, Regional Office for Europe, Country Offices WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ Date: 24 October 2023 REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE Ms Elen Ohov REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA Adviser ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Head office: Department UN City, Marmorvej 51, Ministry of Social Affairs DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Suur-Ameerika 1 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00; Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: [email protected] 10122 Tallinn Website: https://www.who.int/europe Estonia Our reference: Your reference: Notre référence: Votre référence: Unser Zeichen: Ihr Zeichen: См. наш номер: На Ваш номер: Dear Ms Ohov, Invitation to the kick-off meeting of the European Commission (EC) project “Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefitting of temporary protection in Member States” jointly supported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) 6 December 2023, Brussels, Belgium It is with pleasure that I invite a representative to the kick-off meeting of the EC project. This action is part of the EU4Health workplan 2023 of the EC and will be supported in close partnership by IOM and WHO. The joint project will be implemented in ten countries including Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia over a two-year period. The purpose of this meeting is to officially kick-off the project. The meeting will include moderated sessions in a workshop style, where, where country representatives will present their joint workplan including opportunities, challenges, and strategies to support refugees from Ukraine in accessing healthcare. The event will present the scope of the project and how its implementation will support national health authorities in ensuring access to health services for refugees from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive. The draft concept note is attached for your background and information. The official working language of the meeting is English. I kindly invite you to nominate one participant from your Ministry of Health to attend this event. Ideally, this participant is a senior official with experience in migration and health management. I am pleased to inform you that the travel and accommodation will be fully covered by the meeting organizers. Please liaise directly with Ms Simona Melki ([email protected]) for any questions you might have. I look forward to receiving your nomination by 10 November 2023. Yours sincerely, Gundo Weiler Director Country Support and Partnerships WHO Regional Office for Europe UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: [email protected] DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: https://www.who.int/europe Denmark Encls: Draft Concept Note Copy for information to: Ms Triin Uusberg, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia H.E. Ms Riia Salsa-Audiffren, Ambassador Representative of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28A, CH-1209 Genève, Switzerland H.E. Mr William Mart Laanemäe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Estonia, Frederiksgade 19, 4th floor, 1265 Copenhagen K, Denmark Ms Kristina Köhler, Liaison Officer, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, 10617 Tallinn, Estonia –2– Saatja: WHO EURO Migration Health Programme <[email protected]> Saadetud: 24.10.2023 12:36 Adressaat: <"Elen Ohov"> Koopia: <"Triin Uusberg">; <"SM Info">; <[email protected]>; Kaisa.Mitt- Alvarez <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; KÖHLER, Kristina <[email protected]>; PROFILI, Maria Cristina <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Teema: EST: Request for nomination to the kick-off meeting of the European Commission (EC) project jointly supported by IOM and WHO, 6 December, 2023, Brussels, Belgium Tähtsus: Kõrgeim RE: Invitation to the kick-off meeting of the European Commission (EC) project Improving access to healthcare for refugees and people displaced from Ukraine benefitting of temporary protection in Member States jointly supported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) 6 December 2023, Brussels, Belgium Please find attached invitation letter for the above mentioned meeting from Dr Gundo Weiler, Director, Country Support and Partnerships, WHO Regional Office for Europe. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact this Office. Country Implementation Support for Impact Unit Division of Country Support and Partnerships WHO European Region UN City| Marmorvej 51 | DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø | Denmark Email: /