Eighth high-level meeting of the Small Countries Initiative: Bečići (Budva), Montenegro, 2–3 June 2022: towards better health and well-being in the small countries in the WHO European Region: meeting report

ABSTRACT

The Small Countries Initiative (SCI) is a WHO Regional Office for Europe platform that enables countries with populations of 2 million and less to work together on sharing experiences in addressing common issues with the aim of improving health in the WHO European Region and beyond. SCI’s annual high-level meetings provide a forum for countries to come together, report on progress and plan future joint activities. The Eighth high-level meeting of the SCI, entitled “Towards better heath and well-being in the small countries in the WHO European Region”, took place in Bečići (Budva), Montenegro, on 2–3 June 2022, the first in-person meeting of the Initiative since 2019. It brought the 11 member countries together, along with other partners, to discuss how to strengthen health-system preparedness and response, mobilize financial and human resources, and strengthen health and well-being through sustainable tourism. The “Roadmap towards better health in small countries of the WHO European Region, 2022–2025” and the Montenegro Statement were adopted during the meeting. While placing health at the centre of sustainable tourism, the countries made concrete commitments to better addressing uncertainty, emergency response and recovery, financial hardship, and the lack of human resources for health.