The third edition of the WHO European Autumn School on Quality of Care and Patient Safety took place in Athens, bringing together professionals and experts from more than 22 countries to discuss and share best practices in the field of healthcare quality and patient safety.
The course, held between 20 and 24 October, was co-organized by the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Education, Research and Evaluation on Safety and Quality of Care, based at the National School of Public Health of NOVA University of Lisbon (NOVA NSPH).
This edition followed the success of the previous two, held in Lisbon in 2023 and 2024, consolidating a strategic partnership between ENSP NOVA and the World Health Organization (WHO) in building the capacity of professionals and leaders for the continuous improvement of healthcare systems.
The opening session, attended by representatives of the Greek Ministry of Health, featured Gundo Weiler, Director of the Division of the WHO Regional Office for Europe; Sónia Dias, Director of ENSP NOVA; and the course directors João Breda (Head of the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens) and Paulo Sousa, Professor at ENSP NOVA and Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre at the School.
In her video address, Sónia Dias highlighted NOVA NSPH’s role as a leading institution in promoting quality and patient safety in Portugal and internationally. “We have a long-standing commitment to advancing public health and healthcare quality through research, training, and collaboration with national and international partners. Our WHO Collaborating Centre has played an essential role in this journey, supporting the development and implementation of national quality policies, particularly in Portuguese-speaking countries”, she emphasized.
The WHO Autumn School gathered more than 30 participants and a wide range of international speakers, including, from ENSP NOVA, Paulo Sousa, Adalberto Campos Fernandes, and Joana Seringa.
The annual WHO meeting aims to strengthen the capacities of healthcare professionals and decision-makers, fostering knowledge sharing, innovation, and leadership in quality and patient safety, with a direct impact on improving health systems and delivering people-centred care.
