The way forward: scaling up action to prevent and control major communicable diseases

The low and middle-income countries in the WHO EuropeanRegion often face the double challenge of strengtheninghealth systems while also bearing the heaviest burden ofmany communicable and non communicable diseases.Vulnerable populations, including migrants and peoplewho inject drugs, within countries throughout the Regionare similarly burdened by limited access to quality healthservices in combination with greater vulnerability to ill health.The consequences are evident in the geographic and, inmany cases, societal distribution of various communicablediseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, viralhepatitis and sexually transmitted infections.WHO/Europe develops norms and standards, guidanceand public health tools to help countries implement effectivedisease prevention and control programmes and addresstheir risk factors.Some progress has been made in the past decade, forexample in regaining malaria-free status for a number ofMember States, and reducing mother-to-child transmissionof HIV. However, scaled up efforts, aimed at monitoringthe spread of disease, protecting vulnerable groups andproviding universal access to quality care and treatment,are needed to retain this momentum and make a lastingdifference.