All 53 Member States of the WHO European Region have today unanimously adopted a bold new strategy to improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents across Europe and Central Asia.
Titled “A healthy start for a healthy life: a strategy for child and adolescent health and well-being in the WHO European Region 2026–2030”, and developed jointly with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the framework sets a clear vision for a region where every child and adolescent can grow, learn and thrive in good health – physically, mentally and socially.
Adopted at the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in Copenhagen, the strategy is the result of extensive consultation with governments, experts, civil society and young people themselves. It aims to tackle long-standing inequities in child and adolescent health and to respond to new challenges – from mental health and digital risks to the impacts of poverty, climate change and conflict on young lives.
“This strategy is about fairness and future,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “Every child deserves a healthy start and every adolescent deserves the chance to reach their full potential. By investing in health, protection and participation early in life, we are investing in stronger, more resilient societies for generations to come.”
Building stronger foundations for life
The new strategy calls on countries to strengthen health systems and social policies that support children and families from the very beginning. It urges governments to ensure accessible and inclusive maternity services, promote early childhood development and preventive health care, and provide comprehensive and high-quality services tailored to the specific needs of children and adolescents.
It also emphasizes the importance of protecting children from harm, including exposure to violence, commercial exploitation, unhealthy products and the potential negative effects of social media. Creating safe physical, social and digital environments is a central pillar of the plan.
“Children and young people are telling us what they need: to be safe, to be seen and to be heard,” said Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of Health Systems at WHO/Europe. “This strategy recognizes their voices and calls for their active participation in shaping the policies and services that affect their lives.”
Addressing urgent priorities
The strategy urges countries to act decisively on several fronts:
- Health equity and inclusion: reducing the burden of preventable diseases and social exclusion, particularly for children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.
- Mental health: tackling rising levels of stress, anxiety and depression among young people, and ensuring access to appropriate care and support.
- Health promoting schools: strengthening the role of schools as key settings for health promotion, where education and health sectors work together to foster physical, mental and social well-being among students.
- Safe and supportive environments: improving conditions in education, housing, nutrition and physical activity; reducing exposure to harmful commercial influences; and strengthening family and community support.
- Digital well-being: protecting children from online harm while promoting the benefits of safe and healthy digital engagement.
- Participation and empowerment: ensuring that children and adolescents are not just beneficiaries but active partners in designing and evaluating policies that affect them.
Measurable progress and accountability
WHO/Europe and UNICEF will support countries in implementing the strategy and will develop a monitoring and accountability framework aligned with national priorities and targets. Progress will be tracked through a midterm report in 2027 and a final evaluation in 2030.
The strategy builds on WHO/Europe’s long-standing commitment to a life-course perspective, recognizing that health in adulthood begins in childhood and that investing in early years yields lifelong benefits for individuals and society alike.
A call to collective action
The adoption of the strategy comes at a time when Europe enjoys the world’s longest life expectancy, yet children and young people in many countries still face persistent inequalities in access to care, rising rates of mental health challenges, and growing exposure to harmful commercial and digital influences.
The new strategy calls for coordinated, multisectoral action that bridges health, education, environment and social welfare systems. It encourages every country to identify national priorities, set measurable goals, and work closely with communities, parents and youth organizations.