WHO Director-General Dr Tedros greets EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Director-General Maciej Popowski. ©WHO/Chris BlackTop representatives of WHO and its Health Emergency Programme (WHE) and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) met today in Geneva for their annual high-level dialogue.The EU team was led by Mr Michael Köhler, Deputy Director-General of DG ECHO, who was accompanied by Ms Susanne Mallaun, Head of Unit, Strategic Partnerships with Humanitarian Organizations, and Ms Dana Le Roy, WHO desk officer at ECHO, with representatives of the EU Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva.Exchange on health emergency preparedness and response topped the agenda, as delegates discussed shared global health priorities and partnership in health emergencies and humanitarian response. The partners also brainstormed about strategic developments related to the WHO fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14), which is presently under development, and also discussed the negotiations underway for a Pandemic Accord, the European Humanitarian response capacity, progress with key partnership projects, including on mental health and nutrition, joint health emergency and epidemic response in humanitarian settings.While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought both organizations closer together, at strategic, technical and operational levels, the high-level dialogue participants agree that the ECHO-WHO partnership has grown even stronger post-pandemic, with a shared strategic vision for a better, safer, healthier world.This partnership with ECHO is critical to WHO’s health emergency operations. In 2023, WHO is responding to an unprecedented number of intersecting health emergencies: climate change-related disasters; disasters such as earthquakes; the health impact of conflicts in Ukraine, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory and in other regions. The impacts of all these health emergencies has overlapped with the health system disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, ECHO and WHO are responding to epidemic outbreaks and health emergencies around the world, delivering life-saving health care to the most vulnerable. Mr Michael Köhler, Deputy Director-General of DG ECHO, said that "demands on WHO have increased exponentially over the past years, showing the trust that partners have placed in WHO."Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said: "The global context is complex with a deteriorating environment, increasing health emergencies risk, and escalating health needs straining health systems and health workforce across all countries. WHO is keen to expand partnership with ECHO beyond short term humanitarian response into longer term, strategic joint priorities."The European Union and WHO collaborate to safeguard political support by keeping global health on the world post-pandemic agenda. The vision for WHO is to rally stakeholders around the new strategy for the work, encapsulated in the Global Programme of Work, and to turn the tide on SDG 3: good health and well-being.The dialogue took place in the context of shared political commitment at the highest levels: the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed to Geneva Mr Maciej Popowski, ECHO’s Director-General. This was their first one-to-one meeting, at which they spoke at length about their shared commitment to serve the most vulnerable in emergencies and humanitarian crises, with Dr Tedros expressing appreciation of their close partnership and joint efforts to alleviate the suffering across on-going crises in Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine and most recently in Israel and the Gaza Strip.In 2022, ECHO provided support to COVID-19 rapid response teams, isolation centres, laboratories and primary health care centres and also provided ambulances to health authorities in Khartoum, Sudan, to help with transporting patients to health facilities within localities. ©Lindsay Mackenzie
WHO and ECHO Strengthen Partnership for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
WHO and ECHO held a high-level dialogue in Geneva to strengthen their partnership in health emergency preparedness and response, discussing shared global health priorities and the impact of recent health emergencies. Key figures included WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros and ECHO Director-General Maciej Popowski. This collaboration is significant for Iran as it highlights international efforts to address health crises exacerbated by conflicts and disasters, which may affect the region.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
WHO and ECHO held a high-level dialogue in Geneva to strengthen their partnership in health emergency preparedness and response, focusing on shared global health priorities and recent health emergencies. They discussed strategic developments and ongoing humanitarian responses.
- The dialogue emphasized the need for collaboration in addressing health emergencies exacerbated by conflicts and disasters.
- ECHO and WHO are responding to an unprecedented number of health emergencies globally, including those related to climate change and conflicts.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The WHO and ECHO partnership aims to improve responses to health emergencies, especially in regions affected by conflict and climate change. This is particularly relevant in the context of the ongoing health challenges faced by many countries, including Iran.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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