WHO and UNICEF Strengthen Strategic Collaboration to Support Vulnerable Children in Greece

Athens, July 1 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their strategic collaboration in Greece, a significant step toward promoting the health and well-being of children and adolescents across the country.

In a formal exchange of letters signed bilaterally on Friday, June 27,  both organizations expressed their mutual commitment to enhance and deepen cooperation under the Strategic Collaboration Framework which was signed on 18 September 2020. This renewed partnership leverages the technical expertise, resources, and presence of both WHO and UNICEF in Greece to support the most vulnerable children, especially children from low-income families, children with disabilities, Roma children, and refugee and migrant children.

The main areas of the collaboration include:

• Promoting universal health coverage through a primary health care approach and health systems strengthening.
• Advancing mental health, psychosocial well-being and early intervention services for children and adolescents.
• Supporting maternal and child nutrition.
• Preventing and reducing obesity among children aged 0–17.
• Enhancing inclusion and innovation for children with disabilities and special educational needs.
• Jointly advocating for the physical and mental health of children in Greece.

“Through this collaboration, we are reinforcing our joint commitment to ensuring that every child and adolescent in Greece has access to the high-quality care they deserve. WHO will continue to support efforts that strengthen health systems and deliver lasting improvements in child and adolescent health,” underlined Dr Joao Breda, Head of the WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens.

Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Greece, expressed his full agreement with the proposed objectives and reiterated UNICEF’s dedication to working closely with WHO:

“This collaboration is a clear reflection of our shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of children and adolescents in Greece and we will make sure we work hard to achieve that,” he stated.

Through regular coordination and communication at all levels, WHO and UNICEF committed to ensure effective implementation of the agreed initiatives in order to uphold the right to health for every child, leaving no one behind.