Experience in setting targets for health in Europe

Abstract

There is now 20 years' experience of setting targets for health in the World Health Organisation (WHO) European region in the framework of the Health for All (HFA) approach. The way in which this approach was initiated at the European level is described and the results of a study of the process of HFA policy development in countries are presented. More than half the 51 member states in the European region now set targets for health related to expected outcomes, changes in risk factors and processes. Although the process calls for collaboration across sectors, on the whole the picture is one of sticking to familiar partnerships and ways of working. More recent developments in some countries offer the hope of greater efforts in setting targets for tackling the underlying determinants of health.