South-Eastern Europe Health Network - SEEHN

22/04/2026

SEEHN successfully held the regional workshop
“Strengthening Health Workforce Capacity through Trauma-Informed Care as a System Competency”
Bucharest | 21–22 April 2026
The event brought together participants from SEEHN Member States — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia — alongside Romanian healthcare professionals from both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The session was opened by Mircea Timofte, President of OAMGMAMR and of the RHDC on Nursing and Midwifery, and by Tatiana Paduraru, head of the SEEHN. We were honored to welcome high-level representatives to the opening session, including Claudiu Damian, Florentina Furtunescu, and Silvia Gatscher (WHO). The session was moderated by Roxana Hainagiu, representative of the SEEHN RHDC on Nursing and Midwifery.
Over two days of discussions, participants explored how trauma-informed approaches can strengthen health systems — from leadership and governance to practical implementation and regional cooperation.
The sessions were led by Dr Nistor Becia, MBE, with contributions from Daniela Nedelcu, in an interactive and practice-oriented format.
💬 Key takeaway: trauma-informed care is not only a clinical tool, but a system-level competency essential for resilient health systems.
🙏 Thank you to all participants and partners for contributing to a meaningful regional exchange!

17/04/2026

📍 Strengthening cooperation for the future of health systems in South-Eastern Europe
Dr Tatiana Paduraru met with H.E. Ambassador Adela Monica Axinte to discuss Romania’s upcoming SEEHN Presidency (2026–2027).
The conversation focused on:
🏥 Strengthening primary health care
💻 Advancing digital health
👩‍⚕️ Supporting the health workforce, including nursing leadership
🛡️ Building resilient and well-governed health systems
🎉 Plans are also underway to celebrate 25 years of SEEHN, marking a strong legacy of regional collaboration.

07/04/2026

🌍 World Health Day 2026 |
The South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) joins the global community in supporting the WHO message:
“Together for health. Stand with science.”
In today’s complex world, science and evidence-based policies are essential for building resilient and equitable health systems.
🔎 At the same time, tackling misinformation is more important than ever.
This is why health literacy must be a priority:
✔️ clear and accessible information
✔️ empowered citizens who can identify credible sources
✔️ health professionals as trusted communicators
🤝 Through regional cooperation and shared knowledge, we can turn evidence into action.
Today, we call on everyone:
Stand with science. Invest in knowledge. Build trust. Act together for health.

06/04/2026

📍 Vlora, Albania | Regional One Health Workshop
Experts from across South-Eastern Europe gathered this week to strengthen cooperation in responding to avian influenza and other zoonotic threats.
Through the SEEHN network and the RHDC hosted by SECID, participants worked together to:
🔹 Improve data sharing between sectors
🔹 Define clear response triggers
🔹 Build stronger cross-border collaboration
🔹 Explore innovative tools for surveillance
🤝 The workshop marks an important step towards a more coordinated and resilient regional health response.
More actions to follow, including joint initiatives and capacity-building across the region.

01/04/2026

OPEN CALL! SEEHN scholarship scheme "Public Health Conference "Building Evidence Based Resilient Health Systems in a Changing Europe", 21-22 May 2026 - https://publichealthfutures.org SEEHN is launching a scholarship scheme to facilitate the participation of early career academics, policymakers and activists from nine SEEHN Member States (one per member state).

Deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 April 2026. All details are available at SEEHN site https://seehn.org/

30/03/2026

The South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) participated in the regional conference “Bridging Futures: Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe” (Skopje, 26–27 March 2026).
Dr. Tatiana Păduraru, Head of the SEEHN Secretariat, facilitated Lab C: “Attracting Health Professionals for the Care Economy”, guiding a structured policy dialogue with representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), academia, and public institutions.
Discussions focused on advancing:
▪️ Automatic recognition of professional qualifications
▪️ Regional cooperation for workforce mobility
▪️ Strategic workforce planning and retention policies
The conference brought together ministers, senior government officials, international organizations, and academic leaders, providing a platform for coordinated approaches linking higher education, labor markets, and health systems.
SEEHN reaffirms its commitment to supporting Member States through regional cooperation, policy dialogue, and knowledge exchange to strengthen the health workforce across South-Eastern Europe.

24/03/2026

🌍 World Tuberculosis Day 2026
“Yes! We Can End TB!”

On 24 March, the South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) joins the global effort to end tuberculosis as a public health threat.

TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, but progress is possible. With strong leadership, sustained investment, and coordinated action, we can change the trajectory of the epidemic.

🔹 Ending TB strengthens health security
🔹 Multisectoral action is essential
🔹 Innovation must reach people faster
🔹 People-centred care must remain at the core

SEEHN calls on governments, partners, and communities to protect progress and accelerate efforts toward TB elimination.

👉 Together, we can end TB.

04/03/2026

Today is World Obesity Day 2026. At the South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN), we are standing behind this year’s global theme: “8 Billion Reasons to Act on Obesity.”

Obesity is a complex, chronic disease influenced by genetics, living environments, food systems, urban planning, socio-economic conditions, and equitable access to quality healthcare. To make a real change, we need solutions, not stigma.

The Reality in the WHO European Region:

🚨 59% of adults live with overweight or obesity.
🚨 1 in 3 children is affected.

Across South-Eastern Europe, rising levels of overweight and obesity are contributing to the growing burden of NCDs and increasing pressure on national health systems. Prevention, early intervention, and equitable access to care are therefore public health priorities.

SEEHN is calling for action on:
✅ Healthier urban planning and food systems.
✅ Stronger, accessible primary healthcare.
✅ Compassionate, evidence-based care for all.

There are 8 billion reasons to act - and the time is now. 🌍

25/02/2026

Call for submission proposals for providing technical assistance

The SEEHN Secretariat is inviting all interested stakeholders (individuals and/or legal entities) to submit their proposals for providing “Technical assistance for support SEEHN Member States (MSs) consultation process towards developing draft of the SEEHN Bucharest Pledge and relevant Strategic Action Plan 2028-2032”, as per Request for Proposals no. 07-2502/1 from 25.02.2026.

The submissions are expected by 18 March 2026 to secretariat@seehn.org. All details and documents are available on the following link.

Call for submission proposals for providing technical assistance Feb 25, 2026 | News The SEEHN Secretariat is inviting all interested stakeholders (individuals and/or legal entities) to submit their proposals for providing “Technical assistance for support SEEHN Member States (MSs) consultation pr...

04/02/2026

SEEHN stands alongside the global community to mark World Cancer Day

On 4 February, the South-Eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN) stands alongside the global community to mark World Cancer Day, highlighting a shared regional commitment to prevention, early detection, and equity in cancer care.
Cancer continues to affect millions of people across South-East Europe. While progress has been made, too many cancers remain preventable and too many are diagnosed too late, reducing survival and quality of life.
Across the region, modifiable risk factors — such as to***co use, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity — remain key drivers of cancer. At the same time, unequal access to screening, diagnostics, and timely treatment continues to shape avoidable differences in outcomes between populations.
The World Cancer Day 2025–2027 campaign, “United by Unique,” places people at the centre of care and calls for action that goes beyond awareness. It underscores the need for person-centred health systems, stronger prevention policies, and earlier diagnosis across SEE countries.
SEEHN highlights the value of regional cooperation in strengthening cancer prevention and care — through shared learning, coordinated policies, and collaboration with international partners.
On World Cancer Day, the Regional network calls for renewed action to prevent more cancers, detect them earlier, and ensure fair access to care — so that no one’s cancer outcome is determined by where they live.

22/01/2026

📍 Skopje | 20 January 2026
The Director of the SEEHN Secretariat, Dr Tatiana Paduraru, met with Dr Akeem Ali, WHO Representative in North Macedonia, to strengthen collaboration between SEEHN and WHO.
The discussion highlighted priority areas including health systems resilience, health workforce development, NCD prevention, primary health care, and policy dialogue, aligned with the newly signed WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2026–2030.
🤝 We also welcomed WHO North Macedonia’s partnership in the Health Systems Global Preconference (21–22 May 2026, Skopje) and congratulated WHO on the Pandemic Fund multi-country project covering Albania, Kosovo*, and North Macedonia.
Together, we reaffirm our commitment to people-centred, resilient health systems through strong regional and global partnerships.

WHO North Macedonia