Nine states, including the Republic of Moldova, will sign a statement whereby they will pledge to improve the quality of medical assistance by increasing public financing in the health sector, by ensuring universal coverage with medical services and promoting transfrontier mobility of medical workers. The signing ceremony will take place in Chisinau on April 4, IPN reports.
In the context of the Ministerial Forum of the Southeastern Europe Health Network, the Minister of Health of Moldova Ruxanda Glavan, acting chairwoman of the network, said the agreement in the long run will bring advantages not only to the Republic of Moldova, but also to the other member states. “Owing to globalization and migration, the diseases became harder to be controlled and avoided. When we speak about the spread of an infection or a transmitted disease in a neighboring state, all the components must be informed and ready to react on time,” stated the minister.
Ruxanda Glavan also said that by this agreement, decision makers from the health sector aim to reduce the death rate among newborns and children under five, to combat HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis and to take measures to prevent chronic diseases, alcohol consumption and drugs.
Director of the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization Zsuzsanna Jakab appreciated the results achieved by Moldova in implementing the tobacco control program and the tuberculosis program, noting there are yet challenges and increased concerted effort is needed to address these. “Among the challenges is the decline in measles and diphtheria vaccination coverage, unequal distribution of medical services, additional pressure on health systems caused by the flow of refugees and migrants, in particular in the countries entered by these. The achievement of objectives requires new approaches that are implemented with difficulty and necessitate time,” added Zsuzsanna Jakab.
The Southeastern Europe Health Network was created in 2001, while its Ministerial Forum is at the fourth edition. The agreement between the nine states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Israel, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia and Moldova) is to be implemented until 2030.
