First-ever HEOC workforce training held

Lalitpur, Bagmati Province - The Ministry of Health and Population, with support from WHO Nepal, conducted a four-day capacity-building workshop to strengthen the Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) workforce. A total of 50 officials from federal and provincial levels – including health authorities and agencies, security agencies and disaster management bodies such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and National Emergency Operation Center – participated in the workshop held in Lalitpur from 29 July-1 August. The workshop enhanced participants’ understanding of HEOC roles, core functions and coordination mechanisms through interactive sessions and tabletop exercises to effectively coordinate and respond to health emergencies. Nepal is now the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to conduct such a comprehensive HEOC training under the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPR) framework following the regional training held in 2024. With a fully functional HEOC network complemented by the training, Nepal can now more actively engage in the global Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Network (EOC-NET). WHO will continue supporting the development of provincial standard operating procedures and further capacity-building to strengthen emergency preparedness across all levels. This activity was supported by The European Commission.