Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being

The Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health (NDPHS) is one of the two Partnerships which stem from the Northern Dimension policy. Its mission is to promote sustainable development of the Northern Dimension area by improving peoples’ health and social well-being. It aims to contribute to this process by intensifying cooperation, assisting the Partners and Participants in capacity building, and by enhancing coordination between international activities within the Northern Dimension area. The European Commission is among the founders of the Northern Dimension Partnership in Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS).

Other partners cooperating in this mechanism are:

EU Member States: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden

Non-EU countries: Canada, Iceland * (* Potential Candidate Country since July 2009), Norway, Russia

International Organisations: Barents Euro Arctic Council (BEAC), Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Nordic Council of Minister (NCM), Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

The NDPHS focuses on two main priority areas:

• The reduction of major communicable diseases and the prevention of lifestyle related non-communicable disease
• The enhancement of peoples' levels of social well-being and the promotion of healthy and socially rewarding lifestyles.

 

Four expert groups (EG) provide professional input to the NDPHS joint activities and work programmes: EG HIV/AIDS; EG Prison Health; EG Primary Health Care; EG Social Inclusion, Healthy Lifestyle & Work Ability

One example of the Partnership’s efforts is the NDPHS Database Project - co-funded by the European Union - which was launched in February 2007.

• Project database: an easy-to-use tool which provides information on projects and processes by various donors, organizations, NGOs. Some health fields covered are: communicable diseases, notably HIV/AIDS, lifestyle related diseases, the use of drugs as well as health promotion in the North European countries.
• Project pipeline: helps to coordinate funding of different donor agencies for concrete projects regarding health improvement, and support to groups active in the Northern Dimension area in order to identify suitable donors.