Event highlights
The first Virtual Table-Top Exercise (VTTX) in the WHO European Region took place in Kosovo* on 25 April 2025. The WHO-led training package, launched in 2025, enables countries to conduct their own national-level simulations to assess and strengthen emergency coordination systems in a low-cost, flexible and scalable way. Led by the WHO Office in Pristina, the exercise was developed in collaboration with Training in Aid and WHO regional offices in the Western Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean.
This exercise focused on the “watch mode” of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) – the early detection and monitoring phase before a full emergency activation. Using a realistic health emergency scenario, 23 participants, including core PHEOC staff and new personnel, practiced early signal detection, internal coordination procedures and communication protocols. Following a debrief, a second simulation, which focused on the “alert mode” of the PHEOC, began on 20 May 2025 with the same group of participants, further reinforcing learning and operational readiness.
“The exercise enabled the PHEOC personnel to collaboratively test response protocols, improve coordination, clarify roles and responsibilities and identify system weaknesses – facilitating continuous learning and capacity-building to better manage real-world public health emergencies,” said Isme Humolli, Public Health Officer at the WHO Office in Pristina.
Strengthening resilience
In today’s world of fast-moving public health threats, coordination is critical. The simulation provided valuable experience and helped clarify workflows, strengthen teamwork and identify operational gaps.
The PHEOC plays a central role in helping countries prepare for, detect and respond to emergencies. As part of the global Emergency Operations Centre Network (EOC-NET), the European Regional Forum was established in March 2024 through a joint initiative by WHO/Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The Forum provides a dedicated platform for Member States, regional partners and technical experts to exchange knowledge, identify good practices and collectively improve emergency coordination through PHEOCs. Building on this momentum, WHO/Europe launched the VTTX package in early 2025.
“The launch of the VTTX package marks a major step forward in supporting countries to build sustainable emergency coordination capacities and foster stronger regional collaboration,” said Oleg Storozhenko, Emergency Operations Team Lead in WHO/Europe’s health emergencies programme and Regional EOC-NET focal point.
The VTTX rollout is supported financially by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the European Commission’s EU4Health programme. It reflects WHO/Europe’s ongoing commitment to advancing public health emergency coordination and strengthening resilience across the Region.
*All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244(1999).