BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:PUBLISH PRODID:-//Telerik Inc.//Sitefinity CMS 15.2//EN BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Event highlightsWHO launched the Community Health Centre Ljublj ana as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Family Medicine Development on 12 Mar ch 2026\, following its designation in January. The designation is valid u ntil January 2030 and recognizes Slovenia&rsquo\;s long-standing leadershi p in strengthening primary health care through high-quality family medicin e\, nursing and team-based service delivery.The launch brought together re presentatives of the Ministry of Health\, the Major of Ljubljana\, the lea dership and staff of the Community Health Centre Ljubljana\, academic and professional partners\, and WHO representatives. The Collaborating Centre has two heads: Professor Antonija Poplas Susič\, Director\, and Dr Eva Vod nik\, Medical Director.&ldquo\;We are honoured to become part of the WHO c ollaborating centres network and to support its programme at the national\ , regional and global levels. This designation is proof that WHO has recog nized our team‑based work and integrated model of care\, including all new ly implemented approaches and tools that contribute to population health. It has also recognized that we have the capacity to share and disseminate this knowledge\,&rdquo\; said Professor Susič\, stressing the significance of the designation for the institution.Family medicine is the foundation of primary health care. It is family doctors and nurses who provide first- contact access\, continuity of care\, comprehensive services\, prevention and health promotion\, and coordination across levels of care. As countrie s face ageing populations\, rising multimorbidity and growing mental healt h and social needs\, strong family medicine and nursing remain essential t o ensure integrated\, people-centred care and resilient health systems.&ld quo\;Slovenia is among the leading countries in family medicine developmen t\, both in education and training and in implementing service delivery mo dels in practice\, thanks to the great support from the Ministry of Health \,&rdquo\; said Dr Melitta Jakab\, Head of the WHO European Centre for Pri mary Health Care. &ldquo\;The Community Health Centre Ljubljana brings pra ctical and system-level experience to the network: multidisciplinary teamw ork\, community orientation\, and strong links between education and pract ice\,&rdquo\; added Dr Jakab.A results-oriented plan for 2026&ndash\;2030A s part of WHO&rsquo\;s global network of more than 800 collaborating centr es in over 80 countries\, the Community Health Centre Ljubljana will deliv er a time-bound workplan aligned with WHO priorities\, focused on practica l outputs to support Member States. The plan also entails a specific subre gional focus\, particularly on the Western Balkans and south-eastern Europ e\, the Caucasus and Central Asia.&ldquo\;Being designated as a WHO collab orating centre is not only a recognition of excellence\; it is a commitmen t\,&rdquo\; said Dr Gian Matteo Apuzzo\, Technical Officer at the WHO Euro pean Centre for Primary Health Care and WHO/Europe responsible officer for the collaborating centre. &ldquo\;Today&rsquo\;s event marks more than a formal designation. It marks the start of a concrete\, results-oriented co llaboration that will produce high-visibility outputs that countries can u se\,&rdquo\; Dr Apuzzo added.Key planned deliverables include an annual in ternational capacity-building course on family medicine\, a WHO case study on primary health care in Slovenia\, and an international community of pr actice in primary health care. Strengthening capacity and qualityThe Commu nity Health Centre Ljubljana will focus on strengthening leadership\, orga nizational and analytical competencies in primary health care\, and on emp owering multidisciplinary teams to develop sustainable\, person-centred mo dels of care.&ldquo\;Our aim is to strengthen the role of family medicine as the core discipline of primary health care\, promote teamwork and inter disciplinary collaboration\, and support countries in developing family me dicine in their primary health care reforms\,&rdquo\; said Dr Vodnik.&ldqu o\;The benefit of the designation is twofold: contributing to internationa l learning while also raising standards at home through quality\, systemat ic work and long-term stability in primary health care development\,&rdquo \; said Professor Zalika Klemenc Keti&scaron\;\, Head of the Institute for Research and Development of Primary Health Care at the Centre.&ldquo\;Thi s reinforces Slovenia&rsquo\;s role as a reference point for other countri es working to strengthen primary health care. In recent years\, Slovenia h as hosted study visits from many countries &ndash\; including\, most recen tly\, Bosnia and Herzegovina\, Hungary and Tajikistan &ndash\; reflecting the growing demand for practical experience in team-based\, community-orie nted primary care\,&rdquo\; explained Dr Uldis Mitenbergs\, Head of the WH O Country Office in Slovenia.With the launch of the new collaborating cent re\, WHO/Europe and Slovenia expand a partnership designed to turn experti se into actionable support &ndash\; helping countries strengthen the found ations of primary health care and accelerate progress towards integrated\, people-centred health systems. DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260313 DTSTAMP:20260406T153758Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260312 LOCATION:Slovenia SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:A new WHO Collaborating Centre on Family Medicine Development in Sl ovenia UID:RFCALITEM639110866780493236 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Event highlights

WHO launched the C ommunity Health Centre Ljubljana as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Family M edicine Development on 12 March 2026\, following its designation in Januar y.

The designation is valid until January 2030 and recognizes Slove nia&rsquo\;s long-standing leadership in strengthening primary health care through high-quality family medicine\, nursing and team-based service del ivery.

The launch brought together representatives of the Ministry o f Health\, the Major of Ljubljana\, the leadership and staff of the Commun ity Health Centre Ljubljana\, academic and professional partners\, and WHO representatives.

The Collaborating Centre has two heads: Professor Antonija Poplas Susič\, Director\, and Dr Eva Vodnik\, Medical Director.< /p>

&ldquo\;We are honoured to become part of the WHO collabora ting centres network and to support its programme at the national\, region al and global levels. This designation is proof that WHO has recognized ou r team‑based work and integrated model of care\, including all newly imple mented approaches and tools that contribute to population health. It has a lso recognized that we have the capacity to share and disseminate this kno wledge\,&rdquo\; said Professor Susič\, stressing the significance of the designation for the institution.

Family medicine is the foundation o f primary health care. It is family doctors and nurses who provide first-c ontact access\, continuity of care\, comprehensive services\, prevention a nd health promotion\, and coordination across levels of care.

As co untries face ageing populations\, rising multimorbidity and growing mental health and social needs\, strong family medicine and nursing remain essen tial to ensure integrated\, people-centred care and resilient health syste ms.

&ldquo\;Slovenia is among the leading countries in family medici ne development\, both in education and training and in implementing servic e delivery models in practice\, thanks to the great support from the Minis try of Health\,&rdquo\; said Dr Melitta Jakab\, Head of the WHO European C entre for Primary Health Care.

&ldquo\;The Community Health Centre Ljubljana brings practical and system-level experience to the network: mul tidisciplinary teamwork\, community orientation\, and strong links between education and practice\,&rdquo\; added Dr Jakab.

A results-oriente d plan for 2026&ndash\;2030

As part of WHO&rsquo\;s global network of more than 800 collaborating centres in over 80 countries\, the Communit y Health Centre Ljubljana will deliver a time-bound workplan aligned with WHO priorities\, focused on practical outputs to support Member States.

The plan also entails a specific subregional focus\, particularly on the Western Balkans and south-eastern Europe\, the Caucasus and Central As ia.

&ldquo\;Being designated as a WHO collaborating centre is not on ly a recognition of excellence\; it is a commitment\,&rdquo\; said Dr Gian Matteo Apuzzo\, Technical Officer at the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care and WHO/Europe responsible officer for the collaborating centr e.

&ldquo\;Today&rsquo\;s event marks more than a formal designatio n. It marks the start of a concrete\, results-oriented collaboration that will produce high-visibility outputs that countries can use\,&rdquo\; Dr A puzzo added.

Key planned deliverables include an annual internationa l capacity-building course on family medicine\, a WHO case study on primar y health care in Slovenia\, and an international community of practice in primary health care.

Strengthening capacity and quality

The Community Health Centre Ljubljana will focus on strengthening leadership\ , organizational and analytical competencies in primary health care\, and on empowering multidisciplinary teams to develop sustainable\, person-cent red models of care.

&ldquo\;Our aim is to strengthen the role of fam ily medicine as the core discipline of primary health care\, promote teamw ork and interdisciplinary collaboration\, and support countries in develop ing family medicine in their primary health care reforms\,&rdquo\; said Dr Vodnik.

&ldquo\;The benefit of the designation is twofold: contribu ting to international learning while also raising standards at home throug h quality\, systematic work and long-term stability in primary health care development\,&rdquo\; said Professor Zalika Klemenc Keti&scaron\;\, Head of the Institute for Research and Development of Primary Health Care at th e Centre.

&ldquo\;This reinforces Slovenia&rsquo\;s role as a refere nce point for other countries working to strengthen primary health care. I n recent years\, Slovenia has hosted study visits from many countries &nda sh\; including\, most recently\, Bosnia and Herzegovina\, Hungary and Taji kistan &ndash\; reflecting the growing demand for practical experience in team-based\, community-oriented primary care\,&rdquo\; explained Dr Uldis Mitenbergs\, Head of the WHO Country Office in Slovenia.

With the la unch of the new collaborating centre\, WHO/Europe and Slovenia expand a pa rtnership designed to turn expertise into actionable support &ndash\; help ing countries strengthen the foundations of primary health care and accele rate progress towards integrated\, people-centred health systems.

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