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It is described as the eight small European Countries Initiative. The initiative developed during the 63rd session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Europe, held in 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. Eight European countries counting a population of less than 1 million, gathered together under the auspices of the World Health Organization, to form the European Small Countries Initiative for Health. The eight countries include Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, and San Marino. The main aim of the small countries network is to foster a common political commitment, useful to develop locally good health practices. A specific goal was the implementation of the Health 2020 European policy framework and strategy for the 21st century, in the context of countries with small populations. The rational is in fact, that countries with smaller populations have a significant advantage to promote and implement policies and strategies for health and well-being that draw on the contribution of many sectors. The eight small European Countries Initiative particularly aims at amplifying the voice of small countries in European and global health contexts, reaching out to local and international legislators and rulers. It further aims at sharing existing resources among members, with the intent to maximize assets, and innovating and applying solutions to increase capacity to improve health. The founding principle of the eight countries initiative network, is that the experiences of small countries can provide useful learning opportunities, particularly in the healthcare area, that can then be used at regional level in more populous nations.
Cite this article as: Gualtieri A, Antonelli A, Romeo N. Healthcare programs in the eight European nations members of the World Health Organization Small Countries Initiative for health: Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, and San Marino. Turk Pediatri Ars 2020; 55(Suppl 1): S85–S97.