TALLINN, Jun 26, BNS – The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, in her meeting with Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip on Thursday voiced recognition of the Estonian health care system and good results in the fight against tuberculosis and the spread of HIV.
“But don’t stop too early, because TB and HIV get together and many young people may die as a result,” Chan was quoted by the government press office as saying.
According to the latest WHO report the occurrence of tuberculosis in Estonia has significantly decreased thanks to investments made by the government in control mechanisms.
As Chan said, the people of Estonia should be happy that the health reforms carried out in Estonia during 15 years have helped to build up so good a health care system. The WHO director general voiced recognition of the health insurance, hospital and family practitioner reforms in Estonia as well as of the country’s public health programs.
Chan also hailed Estonia‘s experience as regards IT solutions for the field of health care, observing that Estonia is the country strongest in terms of e-governance she has visited.
The Estonian parliament passed legislative amendments at the end of last year that create the legal basis for the implementation of e-health projects such as digital health history, digital imaging, digital waiting list and digital prescription.
Over the past couple of years representatives from a number of countries — Ukraine, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan and elsewhere — have arrived in Estonia to tap into the country’s experience, whereas Estonian experts have shared their know-how in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Albania, Russia, Latvia and Hungary.
The prime minister also said it was a great honor for Estonia to host the ministerial conference of the WHO European region dedicated to the development of health systems.
Estonia joined the WHO in March 1993. The organization founded in 1948 is headquartered in Geneva and has 192 countries as members.
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