The WHO European program of health legislation and the Health for All policy.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the work of the World Health Organization (WHO), begun a decade ago in Europe, in the field of health legislation. This program is the result of the interaction between two important factors: the trends in national health policy and legislation at the country level, and the implementation of the Health for All policy, which has been collectively adopted by the European Member States in various WHO fora. Health legislation has proved to be a valuable tool in supporting National Health Policies in European countries and a key element in international health activities. The paper will be presented in three main parts. The first examines the legislative implications of the Health for All policy and strategy. The second gives an overview of developments in health legislation in Europe, focusing on national achievements in three areas in which change is necessary to achieve Health for All: health care systems, the environment, and lifestyles. The third part gives an account of activities carried out by the Regional Office for Europe of WHO in the health legislation field, recalls the organization of the first WHO medium-term program in this field, and summarizes its four current subprograms on health policy, health situation, exchange of information, and training. The conclusion briefly outlines the prospects for further developments in Europe.