WHO and Member States Advance Regional Health Emergency Workforce Readiness in South-East Asia

WHO and Member States in the South-East Asia Region today began a three-day workshop to strengthen leadership, surge capacity and workforce readiness, helping countries better prepare for, detect and respond to health emergencies.

"In the WHO South-East Asia Region, emergencies are not exceptional events-they are a recurring feature of our public health landscape," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region. "Recent emergencies have reinforced the importance of strong surge capacity, effective coordination and decisive leadership. One lesson is clear: a strong, connected and rapidly deployable health emergency workforce is essential."

The regional workshop marks an important step in implementing the WHO South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Workforce Strategy 2025-2030, a regional framework developed to strengthen emergency workforce readiness through coordinated leadership, interoperable surge capacities and a well-trained multidisciplinary workforce. The workshop will support countries in translating the strategy into action through stronger collaboration among emergency workforce networks and the development of national implementation roadmaps.

The WHO South-East Asia Region faces a wide range of health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, climate-related events and humanitarian crises. Recent emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted both the dedication of health workers and the need for systems that can rapidly mobilize and coordinate skilled personnel. The workshop provides an opportunity for countries to build on lessons learned and further strengthen preparedness for future emergencies.

The Regional Health Emergency Workforce Strategy envisions a coordinated, resilient and responsive workforce across South-East Asia and is built around three strategic objectives: strengthening connected leadership; harmonizing response through interoperable coordination platforms and surge capacities; and building a predictable, well-trained multidisciplinary workforce capable of responding effectively to emergencies.

"Health emergencies cannot be managed in silos. They require connected leadership, interoperable systems, coordinated surge capacities and multidisciplinary teams working across sectors and borders. This workshop is an opportunity to turn our vision of a network of networks into practical action," Dr Boehme said.

Over the next three days, participants will review the regional emergency workforce landscape, examine country experiences and identify practical actions to strengthen preparedness. Discussions will focus on leadership, workforce mapping, interoperable surge systems, coordination among response networks, and the use of information management and emerging technologies to support emergency operations. Countries will also develop implementation roadmaps to guide action in the coming years.

A key feature of the strategy is its emphasis on connecting and strengthening existing capacities rather than creating parallel structures. It promotes collaboration among emergency medical teams, outbreak response experts, emergency operations centres, epidemiologists and other specialists whose expertise is essential during emergencies. By fostering stronger coordination among these networks, countries can improve readiness and deploy support more rapidly when needed.

Several countries have already begun translating the strategy into action. Sri Lanka has endorsed a national roadmap for strengthening its health emergency workforce and initiated workforce mapping exercises, while Maldives is adapting similar approaches to support an all-hazards emergency workforce model. Experiences from these early initiatives will help inform implementation across the Region.

The workshop brings together representatives from Member States, WHO, emergency workforce networks, technical institutions and partners with a shared objective: strengthening the people, systems and partnerships needed for effective emergency preparedness and response across the Region.