This international conference will be co-hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan, the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) and UNICEF. The meeting will mark the fifth anniversary of the Astana Declaration (2018) and the 45th anniversary of the Declaration of Alma-Ata (1978) on primary health care, as well as the 75th anniversary of WHO. These anniversaries provide an ideal occasion to highlight the global milestones achieved in positioning primary health care as the foundation for resilient and well-performing health systems that contribute to social and economic development in the post-COVID-19 era.

Under the patronage of H.E. Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan and host of the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC73), the session opens with an artistic performance that will immerse participants in the rich cultural heritage of the host country and set the scene for the RC73 agenda.