The Conference on Health in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held - Progress in the Process of Joining Eurotransplant

Today, an online session of the Conference on Health in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held, during which current issues in this area were discussed. The session was chaired by the Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dubravka Bošnjak, and attended by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Republika Srpska, Alen Šeranić, the Federal Minister of Health, Nediljko Rimac, as well as the Head of the Department of Health and Other Services of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Asmir Mujanović.

The main focus was on the information regarding the activities undertaken in the process of Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to Eurotransplant. The Conference acknowledged the information on the steps and efforts made by the relevant institutions aimed at joining Eurotransplant, the international organization for organ exchange.

Previous meetings with representatives of Eurotransplant highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation with member countries, as well as the need to strengthen the organizational structure within Bosnia and Herzegovina to facilitate a faster and more efficient process of organ donation and transplantation.

Support was expressed for continuing activities aimed at meeting the necessary conditions for membership in Eurotransplant. It was assessed that it will be necessary to intensify the awareness campaign on the importance of organ donation to increase the number of donors and strengthen public support for this process.

A conclusion was also reached that there is a need to finalize an agreement in the field of health between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia to encourage cooperation between the two countries based on the exchange of programmes and agreements in defined areas of health, following the previously expressed willingness of the Republic of Croatia to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of joining Eurotransplant.

The session also presented information on the current activities regarding the return of surplus funds from GAVI, and supported the actions undertaken by the Legal Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in this process.

The Conference also discussed the final activities within the EU4Health project. Attendees were informed that medical equipment, including refrigeration units for vaccines and accompanying equipment, has already been delivered to health institutions throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. All involved in the project need to provide the necessary information for final reports, which will enable successful project completion by the end of 2024. A call was made for significant participation in new calls within the European Union's EU4Health program, which lasts until 2027.

The Conference on Health in Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded that it agrees that the relevant health institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska, and the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, should intensify activities to align the final text of the Two-Year Cooperation Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the WHO Regional Office for Europe for the period 2024-2025, and the text of the Document on Focused Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and WHO for 2024-2029.

It was concluded that the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to coordinate with all involved institutions to ensure the full realization of planned activities.