To address the recent media reports regarding Estonia’s withdrawal from the NDPHS Secretariat, the following statement will correct some facts and provide essential context on the organization’s current operations and its value to the region. We fully share the position of condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The NDPHS terminated all cooperation with Russia in early 2022 and has focused its activities on solidarity and support for Ukraine. Our strategic goal is to preserve and value a functional Nordic-Baltic Sea partnership built on inclusiveness, equality, trust, and shared agenda-setting.

On 4th December, the NDPHS Secretariat hosted the Policy Symposium “Towards Elimination of Tuberculosis: Addressing TB infections in the Baltic Sea Region”. The hybrid event was the culmination of the “Latent TB Infection Inventory” project which was implemented in 11 countries - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine.

The conference "Acting on Health: The Role of Arts in Well-being" marked a successful conclusion of the Interreg-funded "Arts on Prescription (AoP) in the Baltic Sea Region" project. Held at the iconic Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania on November 13, the day highlighted the growing momentum of social prescribing. Insightful discussions, presentations, and artistic engagements reflected the project's dedication to developing a scalable and evidence-based AoP model and the readiness to continue the work. Read more and revisit the atmosphere.

At the cross-national online meeting of the Solutions for Age-Friendly Employer (SAFE) project in late October 2025, representatives from Finland, Estonia and Sweden gathered to present the project to health care organisations participating in the piloting phase. The piloting phase is designed to test and refine tools and methods that help organisations assess and improve their age-friendliness. Set for early 2026, the partners are encouraging early, active engagement to secure constructive feedback from pilot organizations throughout the process.

Autumn season is also conference season. During the last week of October, the NDPHS Secretariat delivered a statement at the WHO Europe conference in Copenhagen and represented Policy Area Health in Poland at the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Annual Forum. From promoting a lifetime of health and well-being to discussions on security and resilience across the Baltic Sea Region, the NDPHS continues to advocate for issues that affect everyone and lie at the core of strong communities: the mental health and well-being of our people.

In October, the conference “Culture and Health: Building Resilient Cross-Sectoral Cooperation in Latvia” took place at the Cēsis Concert Hall (Latvia) and online. It presented the Interreg-funded Arts on Prescription project’s results and promoted lasting cooperation between the culture and health sectors across Latvia. On November 13, another conference on the topic will be organized as a side event to the NDPHS 17th Partnership Annual Conference. It will mark the grand finale of the "Arts on Prescription in the Baltic Sea Region" project and will be hosted at the National Library of Lithuania.

As people in our region live and work longer than ever before, it is vital to ensure inclusive organisational culture that are fair and motivating for employees of all ages. The Interreg Central Baltic funded project "Solutions for Age Friendly Employer" (SAFE) aims to support organisations by developing practical tools and guidance that help accommodate employees of all ages. During an Autumn meeting in Helsinki, project partners reviewed the progress made and agreed on the next steps.