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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО Regional consultation on Assistive /2 Technology Virtual meeting 12 August 2021 12 October 2021 (9:30–13:30 CET) Original: English Scope and purpose Background Assistive technology enables people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labor market and civic life. Assistive products are devices for individuals with impaired mobility, sight, hearing, speech or cognition, and examples include wheelchairs, walkers and hearing aids. The primary purpose of assistive products is to maintain or improve individual’s functioning and independence, and thereby promote their well-being. Access to assistive technology is a fundamental human right, a legal obligation for all countries who ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and a prerequisite for the full and equitable achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Reliable data on assistive technology need and outcomes is very limited, and in the WHO European region only a minority of countries have comprehensive monitoring mechanisms for assistive technology. This lack of information stunts the growth of the sector by hindering the development of evidence-based policies. Over the last years, the WHO Regional Office for Europe accelerated its efforts to support Member States in conducting policy-driven research on assistive technology (Figure 1). Household surveys in six Member States identified the need and unmet need for assistive technology, and a scoping review of the existing literature was conducted to collect regional data from other member states. Moreover, an assistive technology systems analysis was conducted in three Member States. In addition, assistive technology system level indicators were collected from over 17 Member States. To address the lack of information on assistive technology, in 2018 the 71th World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA71.8 instructing WHO to develop a global report on assistive technology (GReAT). The development of GReAT started in January 2019 under the guidance of the WHO/UNICEF Steering Committee. A draft report has been developed and will be updated with household survey data on access to assistive technology arising from 30 countries and includes progress indicators of the (WHA71.8) implementation status from the Member States. The updated draft will be discussed at regional consultations representing all six WHO regions before its finalization. Based on the feedback from the regional consultations the WHO/UNICEF Steering Committee will mature the draft for the second global consultation of assistive technology stakeholders. The final report will be developed following the outcome of the global consultation. Scope and purpose page 2 To ensure the GReAT is relevant and contributes to improving access to assistive technology in the region, the WHO Regional Office for Europe is convening a regional consultation to discuss the findings of the report and, with this in mind, to explore and reflect on measures that are being pursued in countries to strengthen access to assistive technology in the WHO European Region. Date and time The consultation will be held on Tuesday 12 October 2021 and will have a duration of four hours, from 9:30 to 13:30 Central European Time. Aims 1. To develop a regional and country plan on scaling-up access to assistive products in the WHO European region 2. To ensure the global report is relevant and contributes to improving access to assistive technology in the WHO European Region Objectives 1. To present findings of regional research initiatives and models of assistive technology systems in different countries of the region 2. To develop regional and country plan to increase access to assistive technology 3. To present the draft global report on assistive technology and validate the proposed recommendations in line with the regional situation. Participants Representatives from relevant ministries of WHO European Region Member States; each Member State is invited to nominate two participants. Languages of the consultation The consultation will be simultaneously translated into English and Russian. Preparatory documents will also be available in English and Russian. Saatja: EURO DAR <[email protected]> Saadetud: 22.09.2021 11:47 Adressaat: Elen Ohov <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Koopia: Triin Uusberg <[email protected]>; SM Info <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; KÖHLER, Kristina <[email protected]>; SIRK, Gerli <[email protected]> Teema: Invitation to nominate: Regional consultation on AT, 12 October 2021 Dear National Counterpart, Please find attached nomination letter for your kind attention, noting that the deadline for nomination is 30 September. Yours sincerely, Health Workforce and Service Delivery Programme WHO Regional Office for Europe Copenhagen, Denmark Web: Follow WHO on | | | WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION Date: 6 September 2021 ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE Ms Elen Ohov BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA Adviser ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО European Union Affairs and International Co- Head office: operation 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: http://www.euro.who.int Estonia Our reference: Your reference: Notre référence: Votre référence: Unser Zeichen: Ihr Zeichen: См. наш номер: На Ваш номер: Dear Ms Ohov, Regional virtual consultation on assistive technology Copenhagen, Denmark, 12 October 2021 (9:30–13:30 CET) I have the honour to inform you that the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe will hold the above-mentioned regional virtual consultation. In 2018 the 76th World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA71.8 instructing WHO to develop a global report on assistive technology (GReAT). The aim of the regional consultation is to discuss the findings of WHO-led initiatives with Member States, develop evidence-based recommendations and draft a regional and country plan on increasing access to assistive technology. The objectives of the regional consultation are: 1. To present findings of regional research initiatives and models of assistive technology systems in different countries of the region 2. To develop regional and country plan to increase access to assistive technology 3. To present the draft global report on assistive technology and validate the proposed recommendations in line with the regional situation. I have the pleasure to invite you to nominate two people from your country to participate in the regional consultation. The participants should be officials from the ministry leading the assistive technology agenda (e.g., Ministry of Health or Ministry of Social Affairs), who are specialized in the governance and management of the assistive technology sector and who have the capacity to represent their organization and report back to their organization. The working language will be English and simultaneous interpretation into Russian will be provided. The regional consultation will take place online, and the participants will receive a Zoom link to the meeting following confirming their participation. We look forward to receiving your two nominations, giving the names, functional titles and organization/department, email addresses of the proposed participants at your early convenience, and UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: [email protected] DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: http://www.euro.who.int Denmark no later than 30 September 2021. We shall then communicate with them directly and provide them with the necessary documentation and administrative information in good time. Satish Mishra is responsible for this activity and it would be appreciated if you would address your reply to him at [email protected] with copy to Rosario Espinola Sanchez at [email protected]. Sincerely yours, Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat Director, Division of Country Health Policies and Systems Encls: Scope and Purpose Provisional agenda Copy for information to: Ms Triin Uusberg, Head, European and International Coordination Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia H.E. Ms Katrin Saarsalu-Layachi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative, 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– WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО Regional consultation on Assistive /3 Technology Virtual meeting 12 August 2021 12 October 2021 (9:30–13:30 CET) Original: English Provisional agenda 1. Opening 2. Cost-effectiveness analysis: Investment case for assistive technology 3. Prevalence of assistive technology coverage in the WHO European Region: Results from a scoping review 4. Progress indicators on assistive technology systems in the region 5. Assistive technology System Capacity analysis – an example from Republic of Georgia 6. Household surveys on access to assistive technology in selected countries 7. Perspectives from users 8. Examples of work and models of service provision within the context of the five Ps (people, products, personnel, provision and policy) 9. Draft global report on assistive technology 10. Breakout sessions to generate recommendations - call to action at regional and country level. 11. Conclusions and closing For more information Satish Mishra, Technical Officer – Disability, Rehabilitation, Palliative and Long term care WHO Regional Office for Europe [email protected]