Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Your ref. 08.08.2023 /
WHO Director-General
World Health Organization Our ref. 09.08.2023 No 1.4-2/3045-1
[email protected]
Invitation: Tallinn Charter 15th anniversary conference (12–13 December 2023)
Honourable Director-General,
The Tallinn Charter 15th anniversary high-level conference, “Trust and transformation: resilient
and sustainable health systems for the future”, will take place on 12–13 December 2023 in
Tallinn, Estonia. The conference will be co-hosted by the Government of Estonia and the WHO
Regional Office for Europe.
The 2008 Tallinn Charter: Health Systems for Health and Wealth was an important landmark,
endorsed by all Member States in the WHO European Region, providing guidance and a
strategic framework for strengthening health systems as an important cornerstone towards
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage. Following five-
and 10-year anniversary meetings in 2013 and 2018, European health ministers are gathering
in Tallinn this year to recommit to the values and commitments of the Charter.
The main aim of the conference is to launch a vision for new and integrated health systems
that recognizes the key roles of patients and health workers and captures their voices and
needs. The three supporting objectives of the conference are:
• to demonstrate why reinstating trust in our health systems (among the public, health
professionals and policy-makers) is a prerequisite to transformation;
• to present an updated health system performance assessment framework that will make
reference to important new elements, including digitalization and climate change, and will take
on board lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• to discuss successful ways of transforming health systems to meet challenges such as
demographic ageing, health workforce scarcity and limited fiscal space to ensure sustained
investment and support for health systems in the European Region.
We would be honoured by your presence at this high-level event to mark the Region’s
achievements and to support countries in their efforts to fulfil the Tallinn Charter commitments.
We believe that the Tallinn Charter has cross-regional relevance, as countries across the world
face similar challenges. We highly value your leadership at the global level and believe that
Suur-Ameerika 1 / 10122 Tallinn / ESTONIA / +372 626 9301 /
[email protected] / www.sm.ee / Reg. no
70001952
your vision for the transformation that health systems need to regain trust and public
confidence would be an inspiration for the health leaders in the European Region and globally.
Yours sincerely,
Riina Sikkut Hans Henri P. Kluge
Minister of Health WHO Regional Director for Europe
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