This year, WHO/Europe will take part in 2026 European Public Health Week (EUPHW), an annual initiative led by the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), aimed at shining a spotlight on pressing issues and trends in public health.
Every year, hundreds of organizations and thousands of people across Europe come together, as part of EUPHW, for a series of events, workshops, activities and dialogues.
This year, WHO/Europe will host 2 special events:
- “What countries need to implement mental health in all policies: insights from European policy dialogues”, on 6 May from 10:00–11:30 CEST; and
- “MeND report: The mental health of Europe’s health workforce and what we must do about it”, on 8 May from 10:00–11:30 CEST.
Both events are open to the public, and you can register below.
What countries need to implement mental health in all policies: insights from European policy dialogues (6 May)
This session will be the main event on Day 3, the theme of which is “Mental health at the crossroads: investing across public health, primary health care and communities”.
Mental health is shaped by decisions made beyond the health sector. Education, employment, housing, social protection, justice, transport, digital environments and community design all have an influence on mental health and well-being. Countries across the WHO European Region are increasingly calling for mental health in all policies as a core strategy for sustainable health and well-being.
This EUPHW event, jointly convened with EUPHA and the European Commission, presents the findings of multisectoral policy dialogues conducted across 22 of 29 Member States (27 from the European Union plus Iceland and Norway) – part of WHO’s contribution agreement with the European Commission, the “Addressing mental health challenges in the European Union, Iceland and Norway” project.
The session will highlight 5 priorities identified by countries: embedding mental health considerations across all policy areas; transforming mental health systems towards integrated and community based models; co creating policies and services with people with lived experience; embedding human rights based approaches; and securing sustainable, cross sectoral funding.
Opening reflections will set the scene for the discussion in the European policy context, followed by country perspectives on how to move from commitment to the practical delivery of mental health in all policies across sectors.
MeND report: The mental health of Europe’s health workforce and what we must do about it (8 May)
This falls on Day 5, the theme of which is “Strengthening and supporting the health workforce”.
The 90-minute session will spotlight the urgent need to protect the mental health of the health workforce and strengthen resilient health systems across the Region. The session will present key findings from the landmark Mental Health of Nurses and Doctors (MeND) survey launched in October 2025, which gathered over 90 000 responses across Europe (European Union, Iceland and Norway) and revealed a stark reality: 1 in 3 health workers report depression or anxiety, and 1 in 10 have experienced suicidal thoughts.
The event will connect the mental well-being of doctors and nurses to broader public mental health outcomes and system resilience, emphasizing that the health of populations depends on the health of those who care for them.
Participants will explore the 7 policy actions outlined in the MeND report to improve working conditions – from tackling excessive workloads and workplace violence to expanding access to mental health support and strengthening leadership accountability.