Strengthening health system accountability: A WHO European Region multi-country study

This report takes stock of the measures that countries in the WHO European Region have put in place to strengthen their health systems’ accountability since the adoption of the Tallinn Charter: Health Systems for Health and Wealth (2008) and the Health 2020 policy framework (2012). Recent years have undoubtedly brought significant challenges to the health systems in the Region, including international and national environments affected by an economic crisis, increased health needs and scarcity of resources. Nevertheless, countries across the Region have taken abundant and significant steps to improve health-system accountability. This report summarizes countries’ experiences with strengthening health-system accountability in the context of the momentum created by the Tallinn Charter and Health 2020, by setting rigorous goals and measuring and reviewing health systems’ performance.