Event highlights

The Secretariat of the Pan-European Network for Disease Control (NDC), hosted by the WHO European Centre for Preparedness for Humanitarian and Health Emergencies (PHHE), successfully convened the 6th NDC Steering Group Meeting on 25–26 June 2025 in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The meeting was opened by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, who emphasized the NDC’s critical role in strengthening regional collaboration and emergency preparedness. “The Network is not just another platform – it is a vital pillar of our regional health architecture, born from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and designed to translate intent into preparedness, prevention and response,” he said.

He underscored the NDC’s importance in operationalizing the Pandemic Agreement – recently adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2025 as a landmark commitment to global preparedness – by enhancing cross-border coordination, promoting equitable access to countermeasures and advancing collaborative surveillance.

Opening remarks were also delivered by Dr Jenny Harries, former Chair of the NDC Steering Group and former Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who reflected on the remarkable progress of the NDC and encouraged continued commitment to collective action.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, and Dr Ihor Perehinets, WHO/Europe Regional Emergency Director, also addressed the group, recognizing the NDC as a unique platform for operational cooperation and a key asset for regional health security.

The Steering Group reviewed the NDC’s implementation over its first year, reflecting on key achievements, challenges and lessons learned. These insights will not only inform the next phase of activities but also serve as a foundation for shaping the NDC Strategy.

Milestones reviewed during the meeting included:

• the establishment of 3 functional working groups on Emergency Coordination, Access to Countermeasures and Collaborative Surveillance;
• the development of the NDC’s first technical product, “Operational Considerations for Collaborative Surveillance”;
• strengthened collaboration with the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Network (EOC-NET) and the global interim Medical Countermeasures Network (i-MCM-NET); and
• the submission of a multi-country proposal to the Pandemic Fund, involving 4 countries and 3 implementing entities, for an initiative aimed at supporting country-level action and fostering cross-country learning through peer engagement and shared technical solutions.

The Steering Group also reviewed and endorsed the proposed approach for developing the NDC Strategy, which will guide the NDC’s long-term vision, direction and institutionalization – rooted in lessons learned and regional priorities.

Looking ahead, the NDC will co-organize, together with the i-MCM-NET Secretariat at WHO headquarters, the Global i-MCM-NET Meeting, to be held in Istanbul on 30 September 2025–1 October 2025.

The 6th Steering Group Meeting reaffirmed the NDC’s momentum and the shared commitment to building a more connected, responsive and resilient public health architecture across the WHO European Region.

Event notice

This high-level meeting will bring together Steering Group members – senior representatives from member institutions – to review progress during the Network’s first year of implementation, reflect on key lessons learned and define strategic priorities for the next phase of work.

Participants will engage in focused discussions on the implementation of the NDC’s core workstreams – collaborative surveillance, emergency coordination and access to medical countermeasures. The meeting will also aim to reach agreement on the approach to developing the NDC strategy, laying the foundation for a shared vision of regional collaboration in health emergency preparedness.

The event will serve as a key opportunity for Steering Group members to provide guidance on operational priorities; Secretariat functions; and strategic directions related to visibility, partnerships and sustainability – ensuring the NDC continues to evolve as a dynamic, member-driven platform for collective action and strengthened regional health security.