Council of Europe

The project aims to support member states in improving the health of their populations as an essential condition for social cohesion. To that end the project will promote citizens' health education and health literacy, including health information exchanges through internet, social networking and other interactive fora. Health literacy is the capacity to make sound health decisions in the context of everyday life and is a critical empowerment strategy to increase people's control over their health, their ability to seek out information and their ability to take responsibility
 

Under Article 11 of the Social Charter "The right to Protection of Health", health education must be a priority of public health policy. The project also supports member states in implementing the Oviedo Convention: Article 28 - "Public debate"

Revised European Social Charter - Article 11 - "The right to the protection of health"

With a view to ensuring the effective exercise of the right to protection of health, the Parties undertake, either directly or in cooperation with public or private organisations, to take appropriate measures designed inter alia:

1. to promote as far as possible the causes of ill-treatment;

2. to provide advisory and educational facilities for the promotion of health and the encouragement of individual responsibility in matters of health;

3. to prevent as far as possible epidemic, endemic and other diseases, as well as accidents.

Convention on Human rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention) - Article 28 - "Public Debate"

Parties to this Convention shall see to it that the fundamental questions raised by the developments of biology and medicine are the subject of appropriate public discussion in the light, in particular, of relevant medical, social, economic, ethical and legal implications, and that their possible application is made the subject of appropriate consultation.

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP, 8-9 November 2012

Strasbourg, France

An International Workshop on a Model of a citizens' consultation platform on the right to the protection of health, organized by the Social Cohesion and Integration Division, was held on 8-9 November 2012 in Strasbourg, France. It was attended by about 40 professionals from all relevant disciplines (doctors, health professionals, representatives of the Ministries and Public Health Institutes, members of Parliaments, health networks, etc. ) as well as representatives of patient organisations.

The objectives of the Workshop were to provide the Ministries of Health of the Council of Europe member states' with the results of replies to the Council of Europe Survey, presentation and discussion of examples of good practice and strategies on citizens' consultation, presentation and discussion of the Council of Europe's Draft  "Model on a citizens' consultation platform on the right to the protection of health".

To that end, the participants of the Workshop were invited to provide the Council of Europe Secretariat with additional examples of country experience on citizens' consultation, patients' rights protection, health promotion, and to develop the Draft Model of consultation platform on the right to the protection of health.

FIRST NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY CONGRESS,

29-30 November 2012, Kyiv, Ukraine

The First National Patient Safety Congress: "Patients' Satefy - Doctors' Safety - State's Safety" in Kyiv was supported in the frame of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2011-2014 "A partnership for Reform". The Congress was organized by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian Council for Patients' Rights and Safety. The Council of Europe contributed to the Congress by providing the 4 speakers, several publications and financial support for the publication of the "Green Book on National Action Plan on patient safety with the materials of the First National Congress on patient safety".