Strengthening national emergency preparedness

Many countries currently lack the minimum capacities necessary to rapidly detect and respond to known vulnerabilities and likely public health emergencies. 

WHO works long-term with Member States to improve their operational readiness, and handle the initial impact of emergencies and subsequent recovery. WHO’s work supports countries in meeting their commitments under the International Health Regulations to build capacity for all kinds of public health events.

Working in close collaboration with regional and country offices, WHO:

• helps countries strengthen their public health surveillance system;
• provides risk assessment support in the form of technical guidance and operational support on the ground;
• provides guidance on risk communications;
• advises countries on establishing or accessing laboratory services;
• supports national rapid response team trainings and training of trainers; 
• conducts simulation exercises to test national, regional, and global capacities to respond to emergencies; and
• initiates after action reviews (AAR) after the event to identifying best practices, gaps and lessons learned.