Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will on Monday take part in the 60th meeting of the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe), the Russian government said.
The Soviet Union was one of the WHO co-founders. The European office is one of the organization's six regional offices around the world comprising 53 countries with the population of 780 million.
Russia cooperates with WHO/Europe on the basis of two-year agreements. The priorities for collaboration in 2010-2011 include strengthening the health system, preventing noncommunicable diseases, improving mother and child health, and scaling up the response to communicable diseases.
WHO/Europe has worked closely with the Russian Health and Social Development Ministry for many years, developing specific, targeted collaborative agreements every two years to address key health issues.
The WHO Country Office, Russian Federation, established in 1998 and based in Moscow, coordinates this work, the WHO said on its website.
Russia is home to several research centers and laboratories serving the WHO European Region. It also provides funding for global health work, such as the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and hosts major international health events, notably the 2010 WHO Regional Committee for Europe and the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in 2009.
MOSCOW, September 13 (RIA Novosti)
