Event highlights
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on the development of the Strategy and Action Plan on health emergency preparedness, response and resilience (Preparedness 2.0) in the WHO European Region gathered for its first hybrid meeting on 27–28 June in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Established in June 2023, the Preparedness 2.0 TAG will provide expert advice and support to WHO/Europe on the Member State-led process to develop the new Strategy and Action Plan on health emergency preparedness, response and resilience (Preparedness 2.0), taking into account ongoing global and regional processes and adapting these needs to the Region. Their initial recommendations will be presented at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe this October.
“This is the first step to ensure our Region embeds a dual-track approach to both maintain resilient health systems and be better prepared to deal with future crises, whatever they may be,” says Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
A multisectoral approach
During the meeting, the Preparedness 2.0 TAG considered the global health architecture, and how to make future developments implementable within the Region. They further discussed the main needs across the Region in relation to preparedness and response, including emergency coordination, surveillance, workforce needs, effective communication and engagement, safe and scalable care and access to medical countermeasures. Discussions were also related to the principles that should underline all preparedness work, and how to engage across the health and broader social sectors.
“Through the Preparedness 2.0 development and future implementation, WHO is ready to support our Member States and their communities to strengthen context-specific capacities for better-prepared and resilient health systems for future public health threats and emergencies, leaving no one behind,” adds Dr Gerald Rockenschaub, WHO Regional Emergency Director for Europe.
“We face an ongoing cycle of preparing while responding to various crises. There is no time to waste in building off any capacities and capabilities developed during the COVID-19 response and learning what we have to do to have a more resilient system. We saw how COVID flushed out and made visible all the weaknesses in our systems and societies. Therefore, preparedness needs to involve a whole-of-society and multisectoral approach. The Preparedness 2.0 TAG looks forward to working with WHO/Europe to help move us towards that,” concludes Dr Gail Carson, Preparedness 2.0 TAG Co-Chair.
For more information, please contact eurocpi@who.int
Event notice
Scope and purpose
The 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe mandated the WHO Regional Office for Europe to start the process of developing a new regional strategy and action plan on the strengthening of health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience (Preparedness 2.0), in close consultation with Member States.
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Preparedness 2.0 was created to advise the WHO Regional Office for Europe on the development of the Preparedness 2.0 strategy and action plan on health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience in the WHO European Region. Its members, who reflect the diversity of the Region, were appointed by WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge in June 2023, following a series of open calls for experts in March–May 2023.
This inaugural meeting of the Preparedness 2.0 TAG represents the first step towards the development of the Preparedness 2.0 strategy and action plan. The meeting will centre on the initial brainstorming and setting of a strategic direction for Preparedness 2.0, discussing substantive content, as well as establishing ways of working as a Preparedness 2.0 TAG with support from the Secretariat. In the short term, the deliverable from the Preparedness 2.0 TAG is an interim report including proposed priority areas for the Preparedness 2.0 process, to be presented to Member States during the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in Astana, Kazakhstan, in October 2023. Overall, the aim of the Preparedness 2.0 TAG is to provide expert recommendations to Member States in the development of a new regional strategy and action plan on the strengthening of health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience for the 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in 2024.
Expected outcomes
- Agreement on how the TAG will produce advice and priorities for its work. This includes an initial discussion and agreement on a timeline and methods for the delivery of advice on items requiring longer deliberation and reflection.
- Advice and feedback on initial ideas for the substantive content of the Preparedness 2.0 strategy and action plan.