WHO supports countries to prepare for, detect and respond to health emergencies of all kinds, ranging from disease outbreaks to conflicts to natural disasters.

No organization can do this alone. WHO relies on partners through networks, such as the Global Health Cluster, Standby Partners, Emergency Medical Teams and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

WHO also works closely with Member States, international partners, and local institutions to help communities prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies, disasters and crises.

We are committed to:

• Saving lives and reducing suffering in times of crises
• Building efficient partnerships for emergency management and ensuring these are properly coordinated
• Advocating for political support and consistent resources for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery
• Developing evidence-based guidelines for all phases of emergency work in the health sector
• Strengthening capacity and resilience of health systems and countries to mitigate and manage disasters
• Ensuring international capacity is available to support countries for emergency response through training and establishment of surge capacity.