Event highlights
For the first time in the development of the Ageing is living strategy, WHO/Europe held a dedicated consultation directly with health ministers – bringing its vision into a high-level discussion about how countries invest in and transform long-term care.
Health ministers and senior policy-makers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania met in Vilnius for the 20th Baltic Policy Dialogue, entitled “Why and how the Baltic countries should invest in long-term care”. The milestone edition was jointly organized by the 3 Baltic governments, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
The Dialogue connected 2 urgent realities: populations are ageing rapidly, particularly in the Baltic States, while longer lives are not yet healthier lives for everyone.
In many countries, long-term care remains underresourced and fragmented. Families continue to provide much of the care, often at considerable personal and financial cost, while health and care workforce shortages are increasing pressure on services. Without action, these pressures will grow – but they are not inevitable.
WHO/Europe presented Ageing is living: a strategy for promoting a lifetime of health and well-being in the WHO European Region 2026–2030, a framework for changing course. Ministers considered how stronger prevention and health promotion can maintain functional ability, how integrated and community-based care can support independence, and how sustainable financing and a capable workforce can make high-quality long-term care accessible to those who need it.
Minister of Health of Lithuania Marija Jakubauskienė described the Dialogue as a trusted platform for countries to “openly exchange experience, learn from one another and jointly seek the best solutions”.
Estonian Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller emphasized the importance of “helping people live independently for as long as possible through strong community-based services and better coordination between health and social care”.
Latvian Minister of Health Hosams Abu Meri highlighted the trust built through 2 decades of cooperation, stressing that “continued cooperation will be essential to building a healthy, safe and resilient region”.
The discussion also addressed support for informal caregivers, rehabilitation, nursing leadership and persistent inequities – including the disproportionate care burden borne by women.
“Ageing is not a burden, it is a privilege. But added years must be healthy years,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
For 20 editions, the Baltic Policy Dialogue has enabled countries to share evidence, speak candidly and build trust across political cycles. This first dedicated ministerial exchange on Ageing is living brought the strategy closer to the decisions that will determine its impact: how countries finance care, organize services and enable people to live with dignity, independence and full participation throughout their lives.