Supporting parents and caregivers: mapping and scoping review of experiences in Europe and central Asia

This report provides an overview of parenting support programmes in Europe and central Asia, based on a mapping and scoping review of parenting programmes that was conducted in 2023. The report provides an analysis of the scale, scope and target groups of parenting support interventions, the trends and features of parenting approaches, and a selection of case studies highlighting parenting programmes with a strong evidence base and emerging programmes that offer unique or specialized approaches.

Spain: health system review

This review of the Spanish health system analyses recent developments in health organization and governance, financing, health care provision, recent reforms and health system performance.Overall health status continues to improve in Spain, which presents the highest life expectancy in the European Union – although some socioeconomic inequalities in health persist and risk factors such as overweight, tobacco and alcohol consumption and illegal drug use remain a concern. Health system reforms since 2018 have focused on widening the population covered by the health system, reducing co-payments, improving the scope of coverage in terms of increasing provided services, and the reinforcement of primary care. Future challenges for the health system include addressing access gaps, such as the limited coverage of some services (such as dental and optical care), and large waiting lists for some services. Some gaps in efficiency remain, such as the low numbers of qualified personnel in some medical specialties, the shortage of mental health resources, the underuse of effective treatments, and the overuse of non-appropriate orineffective procedures.

A focus on adolescent sexual health in Europe, central Asia and Canada: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children international report from the 2021/2022 survey

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a large school-based survey carried out every four years in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. HBSC data are used at national/regional and international levels to gain new insights into adolescent health and well-being, understand the social determinants of health and inform policy and practice to improve young people’s lives. The 2021/2022 HBSC survey data are accompanied by a series of volumes that summarize the key findings around specific health topics. This report, Volume 5in the series, focuses on adolescent sexual health, using the unique HBSC evidence on the sexual health of adolescents aged 15 years across 42 countries and regions in Europe, central Asia and Canada (two of the 44 countries and regions in the study could not collect data on sexual behaviours). It describes the current sexual health status of adolescents by analysing their sexual initiation, contraceptive pill and condom use (or non-use) at last sexual intercourse, the role of gender, age and social inequality, and how adolescent sexual behaviour has changed over time. Findings from the 2021/2022 HBSC survey provide an important evidence benchmark for current research, intervention and policy-planning.