Healthcare provision in times of armed conflict: what have we learned from the last European conflict in ex-Yugoslavia?

Jarno Habicht is WHO Representative and Head of WHO Country Office in Ukraine since November 2018. He has served as WHO Representative and Head of WHO Country Office in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (2015-2018) and in the Republic of Moldova (2011-2015). He has been working for World Health Organization since 2003 at country level and is involved in numerous international initiatives on health systems and public health. Previously served as Health Specialist for Estonian Health Insurance Fund and consultant and researcher for various health projects and health information initiatives of the Department of Public Health (University of Tartu) and Ministry of Social Affairs in Estonia, among others. He holds a Diploma in Medicine (MD) and Doctor Medicine (PhD) from University of Tartu, Estonia. Over last decades he is author of around 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and books.  

Goran Čerkez, medical doctor, specialist of social medicine, organization and economics of health care has more than 25 years of experience in public health, with special focus on policy, strategy and community care development.

During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995) he was the head of the general surgery department at the Sarajevo General Hospital, followed by experience for rehabilitation of war victims.

Dr Čerkez contributed to the elaboration of the WHO European Action Plan for Mental Health.

Since 2000, as the Adviser to Minister and later as an Assistant to Minister in the Federal Ministry of Health in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he has closely collaborated with WB, UNFPA, CoE, WHO, UNICEF, IOM, Harvard Refugee Trauma, and NGO¢s.

He was also a member of several expert groups for development of health strategies, health policies.   He chaired steering committees of CCM Global Fund, the Federal Institute of Public health as well a member of several other steering committees.  He has more than 15 years representing Bosnia and Herzegovina within SEEHN and also he was chair of SEEHN Executive Committee.

Goran Čerkez was the guest lecturer on issues related to the development of health services at the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo, the summer healthcare schools in Miločere at the United Nations Center for Peace, the Summer School for Social Workers in Dobrovnica and the Faculty of Criminology, Criminology and Security studies on peer violence. He was the lecturer at the World Human Resource Development Week.

Dr Jaime Calderon has been the Regional Migration Health Advisor of the International Organization for Migration Regional Office for South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia since September 2015. A medical doctor and international public health specialist, Dr Calderon specialises in health service strengthening, policy advocacy and programme development on migration health. In his 30 years of career and professional development, Dr Calderon managed, designed and implemented health education and promotion activities, delivered health care services to migrants, refugees and displaced populations and provided training on various topics under migration health to health and non-health professionals - both in the public and private sector. Dr Calderon was a panel physician for the IOM resettlement health assessment programmes and has assessed and set up health screening facilities in various countries. He has developed and implemented projects that address the health needs and vulnerabilities of migrants and their host communities in humanitarian and development settings. In addition, Dr Calderon has been called to assist in disaster risk management, pandemic preparedness and emergency response in conflict, post-conflict and natural disasters situations. Dr Calderon has worked in Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines), Africa (Kenya), the Middle East (Iraq) and Europe (Austria, Switzerland, and the Former Republic of Yugoslavia) with IOM and briefly with the International Rescue Committee in Thailand; Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF – Switzerland), Health Net International (HNI) and the World Health Organization in Cambodia.

Dr. Biljana Lakić, MD, MS, psychiatrist, psychotherapist. She has been working at the University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska, Banja Luka from 1998. Since 2010 she has been working in the Mental Health Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Institute for Population and Development as a Project Leader. Participated in numerous psychiatric symposia, congresses and professional meetings as part of CME, also underwent training in advocacy campaigns, prevention and treatment of the first psychotic episodes, trauma, psychotherapy, community mental health, leadership and management of health organizations, project management, etc. 2006 appointed National Mental Health Coordinator of the Republika Srpska (RS) and WHO focal point for Mental Health in the RS, BH. Since then, she has participated in numerous activities of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska and other partners related to mental health reform processes in BH (development of mental health strategies, programs, protocols, educational modules, manuals, clinical guides, implementation and evaluation of prevention projects, training of mental health professionals and GPs, etc). Appointed National Mental Health Coordinator for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the South East European Health Network (Stability Pact) in 2010. Author and co-author of several publications: "Psychiatry at the beginning of the 21st century", "Chronic non-communicable diseases-prevention and control", "Public attitudes towards persons with mental disorders in Bosnia and Herzegovina",  "Coordinated care in mental health", “Frequency of Postnatal Depression and Risk Factors That Cause It”, "Conducting promotional and preventive activities in the field of mental health - the theoretical and practical framework" and others.

Mrs. Halyna Skipalska is a civil society activist with solid expertise in gender equality. She is the HealthRight International Country Director for Ukraine, a global health and human rights organization, and the Executive Director of the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health. Halyna Skipalska has almost 20 years of experience working in non-governmental organizations in Ukraine, with a focus on building equitable access to quality health systems and human rights for marginalized populations. The organizations operate across four priority program areas—reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health; HIV; violence; and mental health.

Halyna Skipalska is actively engaged in the national reform initiatives providing specialized services for survivors of domestic violence/gender-based violence (DV/GBV), piloting and scaling up innovative nationwide models of service provision, building the capacity of local authorities, service providers, and CSOs. In 2021 alone, these organisations directly reached over 20,000 women, men, and children with their array of programs in 22 regions of Ukraine and Kyiv. In response to the military offensive launched by Russia on 24 February 2022, organizations reprogrammed their projects and started new ones, with the support from UNICEF and UN Women, to address emerging challenges of the humanitarian crisis and mass displacement of people, including GBV psychosocial support services, mobile teams to assist women and children on the move from areas of active hostilities to western Ukraine and abroad, support to victims of sexual abuse, prevention of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Halyna Skipalska graduated with honors (MPA) from the Kyiv International University, (MS) from the Lviv National State University, and is a Ph.D. fellow at the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. Mrs. Skipalska held fellowships with the Austrian and Swedish governments at the International Institute for Applied System Analysis (Vienna), and with UNESCO at the Technical Institute in Bielsko-Biala (Poland).

Dr Mira Jovanovski Dašić for more than two decades worked as a medical doctor and specialist paediatrician in the public and private health sectors before becoming a National Professional Officer in Montenegro with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. She has served as the United Nations HIV/AIDS/tuberculosis focal point for Montenegro and worked as consultant/adviser for various national and international organizations and institutions.

She has served as Deputy Minister of Health and General Director at the Directorate for Bioethics and International Cooperation in the Government of Montenegro.

Dr Jovanovski Dašić has extensive expertise in the development of policies and regulations in numerous areas of public health.

In her early age she has been partially educated and brought up abroad (Ethiopia, USA), giving her advantage in knowing different cultures, environments and societies and also understanding the importance of addressing inequality issues in health.

She holds a diploma in medicine, a specialty degree in paediatrics and a master’s degree in medical science.

Besides her mother tongue, Dr. Jovanovski Dašić speaks equally well English, Italian and Macedonian.

Dorli Kahr-Gottlieb has been in her position as Secretary General of the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) since 2012. She is responsible for the overall management of the association and the joint development of the association with the team, EHFG Board and Advisory Committee members and national & international partners. Dorli has been passionately involved in the health sector for over 15 years, starting with her engagement in the first Austrian Master of Public Health programme at the Medical University of Graz and her work for the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), where she oversaw the coordination of the European Public Health Conference. Dorli holds a degree in Intercultural Competencies and has been engaged in intercultural projects and culture & health trainings. Dorli is a member of the Sciana Health Leaders Network.