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European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

A unique international partnership that supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the dynamics of health care systems in Europe.

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-informed policy-making. It uses comparative analysis of European health systems and trends to give decision-makers insights into how their own and other systems operate; what works better or worse in different contexts – and why. Ultimately the European Observatory aims to help countries strengthen their health systems to improve their people’s health and wellbeing.

The Observatory is a partnership that brings together different policy perspectives to identify what health systems and policies evidence Europe’s decision makers need; it then generates and shares the evidence in print, in person and online – acting as a knowledge broker and bridging the gap between academia and practice.

The Observatory is hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and is a partnership that includes the Governments of Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; the Veneto Region of Italy; the French National Union of Health Insurance Funds (UNCAM); the World Health Organization; the European Commission; the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies produces comprehensive reviews of health systems (HiTs) in over 50 countries in Europe and beyond.

Observatory publications

The Observatory produces comprehensive reviews of health systems (HiTs) in over 50 countries in Europe and beyond. It also produces comparative studies and policy briefs drawing together evidence on key policy issues. Observatory staff based at LSE Health focus mainly on health systems in the European Union. They also produce Eurohealth, a quarterly publication that provides a forum for researchers, policymakers and experts to debate health policy issues in Europe. Join the Eurohealth and other updates mailing list.

The Observatory at LSE Health