PA Health at the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Annual Forum
As the Baltic Sea Region is in a decade of complex, overlapping challenges— accelerating climate impacts, growing security threats, and demographic shifts—we must adapt. The 17th EUSBSR Annual Forum Resilience Edition in Tallinn will unite leaders, policymakers, and researchers to tackle the region’s most urgent needs through innovation and cross-sectoral cooperation. Resilience is at the heart of regional security and shared prosperity, yet societal resilience is not simply a matter of physical infrastructure but is fundamentally rooted in individuals’ and communities’ capacity to foster cooperation, sustain trust, and take collective action in pursuit of the common good. In short, societal resilience is anchored in people.
During the PA Health breakout session on May 12, we will address the mounting crisis in health and social care workforces. The resilience of these services is inseparable from the workforce that delivers them. We depend on the functioning of these services every day, but their importance as first responders grows in crisis situations. Health and social care are high-risk sectors, characterised by exposure to potentially traumatic events, intense time pressure, and ethical and emotional demands. At the same time, they are facing structural workforce shortages, ageing staff, and evolving demands for services due to demographic changes. Many organisations, particularly in the healthcare sector, are still recovering from the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving their workforce stretched thin even before the next crisis hits.
This session will explore how innovative initiatives and workplace strategies can help sustain work ability, support resilience and recovery, and retain staff in the health and social care sector. By prioritising well-being and psychological preparedness, we will identify ways to build a workforce capable of adapting and remaining in the sector before, during and after crisis.
SPEAKERS
Foundations of resilience
- Ülla-Karin Nurm, NDPHS Secretariat/ PA Health
- Mairi Savage, Karolinska Institute (SE)
- Karin Reinhold, Tallinn University of Technology (EST)
Resilience in practice
- Bozena Kruk, State Fire Service of Poland/ PA Secure
- Elena Bondar, Well-being Company (UA)
The sessions will prioritize stories and key insights from experts on trends in the Baltic Sea Region and Ukraine, spark lively exchanges between speakers and participants, and invite everyone to express their thoughts, and turn ideas into practical outcomes.
The session contributes to the “Solutions for Age-Friendly Employer (SAFE)” project financed by the European Regional Development Fund through Interreg Central Baltic 2021-2027
Registration for the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2026 is now closed. Currently, there is no waiting list option. If you have registered, but your plans have changed, please reach out to resilience@tallinnlv.ee to cancel your participation.
