Event highlights
05-12-2023
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on the development of Preparedness 2.0 for the WHO European Region gathered for its third meeting on 9–10 November 2023 in a hybrid manner in Istanbul, Türkiye, in close collaboration with the WHO European Centre for Preparedness for Humanitarian and Health Emergencies.
During the meeting, the Preparedness 2.0 TAG reflected on the feedback received on its presentation of a working draft of the strategy and action plan, as well as the interim TAG report, at the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in October 2023, and considered Member States’ questions, offers of support, challenges and requests.
The TAG also held its first TAG Working Groups (TWGs) discussions, facilitated by technical teams from WHO/Europe’s Health Emergencies Programme, on the following areas: collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures, and emergency coordination.
During the discussions, each TWG agreed on how it will work together to produce advice and priorities for Preparedness 2.0, while seeking to move beyond discussing top-level strategy to considering how these recommendations can be operationalized through the accompanying action plan.
“Preparedness 2.0 will be WHO/Europe’s guiding light in improving and strengthening health emergency capacities in the Region across the whole emergency management cycle,” explained Dr Gundo Aurel Weiler, acting WHO Regional Emergency Director for Europe.
“It is a joined-up effort, from the Preparedness 2.0 TAG, to the WHO Preparedness 2.0 Secretariat, to the European and Central Asian Member States – we must work together to get the best possible regional strategy and action plan for health emergency preparedness, response and resilience, to ensure that we end up with a robust strategy and operational plan to protect ourselves and our Region in the face of the next crisis – because, unfortunately, we know that crisis is not avoidable, but being prepared is a choice.”
Dr Gail Carson, Preparedness 2.0 TAG Co-Chair, stated, “It was wonderful to meet with colleagues from multiple disciplines in Istanbul and to see the ongoing processes of Preparedness 2.0 bring together the different departments of WHO/Europe. Such cohesive working resulted in optimism that the final product will be useful to the Member States as they strengthen their all-hazard preparedness and response.”
Dr Carson concluded, “This integrated approach and this process that involves consultation with the Member States should lead to a clear pathway for preparedness to all hazards.”
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Event notice
Third meeting of 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
Scope and purpose
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Preparedness 2.0 was created to advise WHO/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 as well as gender, age and disciplinary backgrounds, were appointed by WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, in June 2023, following a series of open calls for experts in March–May 2023.
Overall, the aim of the Preparedness 2.0 TAG is to provide expert recommendations to the WHO Member States in the Region 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 Regional Committee in 2024 (RC74).
This third meeting of the Preparedness 2.0 TAG represents a key progress marker in the work of the TAG and the development of Preparedness 2.0. It will focus on 2 key areas. The first will be reflections on the feedback received as part of the presentation of a working draft of the strategy and action plan, as well as the interim TAG report, at the 73rd session of the Regional Committee in October 2023 (RC73), and considerations of Member State questions, support, challenges and asks. The second part of the meeting will be developing a meaningful plan of work going forward between November 2023 and October 2024, when the strategy and action plan will be finalized for presentation to Member States of the Region at RC74. This will include the finalization of working groups related to the content, a plan for deliverables and consolidated working between the TAG and the Secretariat over the course of 11 months, as well as steps on how to integrate input from Member States during upcoming consultations.
During this meeting, the TAG working groups will have discussions facilitated by WHO technical teams, which may be held in a hybrid manner. We will also seek to move beyond discussing top-level strategy to considering how these recommendations can be operationalized through the accompanying action plan.
The expected outcomes are:
- agreement on how each TAG working group will work together with its WHO technical team to produce advice and priorities for Preparedness 2.0, including initial discussion and agreement on methods for the delivery of advice on items requiring longer deliberation and reflection; and
- advice and feedback on ideas for the substantive content of the Preparedness 2.0 strategy and action plan.