Document: The strategic and operational plan for coronavirus disease threat management
Review period: 28 July–08 August 2025
Deadline for comments: 08 August 2025, 23:59 CEST
The World Health Organization (WHO) is developing a new five-year roadmap to guide global coronavirus disease threat management efforts, replacing the previous WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) that came to an end in earlier in 2025. This draft Strategic and Operational Plan for Coronavirus Disease Threat Management (2025–2030) reflects a shift from short-term emergency response to sustained, integrated programming for COVID-19, MERS, and future coronavirus threats.
The five-year time horizon represents a longer strategic planning period than previous SPRPs, while remaining shorter than traditional global technical strategies. This reflects the continued uncertainty surrounding the future evolution of COVID-19 and other coronavirus disease epidemiology, and allows for structured adaptability as scientific knowledge and country needs evolve.
WHO invites Member States, partners, and interested stakeholders to review and provide feedback on this draft plan.
Purpose of the plan
The Strategic and Operational Plan for Coronavirus Disease Threat Management (2025–2030) sets out a clear framework to support the sustained, comprehensive, and integrated management of coronavirus disease threats, including COVID-19, MERS, and potential novel coronaviruses of public health importance. It aims to ensure that countries are equipped to manage these threats effectively over the long term, embedded within routine health systems and aligned with broader respiratory and other infectious disease prevention and control programmes.
Grounded in WHO’s Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience (HEPR) Framework, the plan guides Member States and partners to:
- Sustaining essential, evidence-based interventions, including surveillance, vaccination, clinical care, and risk communication, to reduce morbidity, mortality, and social disruption.
- Integrating coronavirus disease management into broader respiratory disease and primary health care programmes to improve efficiency, coherence, and resilience.
- Strengthening core public health capabilities to close operational gaps and adapt to evolving risks.
- Generating and applying evidence to guide public health policy, investment, and innovation.
The plan builds on lessons learned from COVID-19 and MERS responses and supersedes previous coronavirus-specific strategies. It is aligned with WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work (GPW14) and supports the implementation of relevant WHO agreements, frameworks, and strategies, such as the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), the Pandemic Agreement (2025), the One Health Joint Plan of Action, and the Immunization Agenda 2030, among many others.
Intended audience
This plan is primarily designed to support national health authorities responsible for the prevention, preparedness, and management of coronavirus disease threats. It also serves as a strategic and technical reference for WHO regional and country offices, as well as partners including multilateral agencies, donors, and implementing organizations. The plan is intended to guide coordinated action across sectors and levels of the health system, supporting the integration of coronavirus disease threat management into broader respiratory and infectious disease programmes.
Who should review this plan
WHO welcomes feedback from:
- Member States, particularly national public health authorities involved in pandemic preparedness, respiratory disease control, and health system strengthening.
- Technical experts in infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance, vaccination, clinical care, risk communication, health systems integration, and pandemic preparedness.
- Partners and stakeholders from multilateral agencies, academic institutions, civil society organizations, implementing partners, and the private sector who work on epidemic-prone disease management or support country-level implementation.
- Researchers and practitioners with expertise in health emergency response, One Health, or the development and deployment of medical countermeasures.
- Community and civil society representatives, especially those engaged in equity-focused delivery of health services or community engagement during health emergencies.
How to submit comments
WHO welcomes comments on the draft from 28 July to 08 August 2025. Feedback will be used to refine and finalize the plan before its publication. During this period, you can provide input and submit comments via the online survey accessible here.
You can also submit more detailed comments by downloading the draft document and adding your suggested changes as comments in the document. Please then email the document to covid19@who.int with the subject line "Public comment submission - strategic and operational plan for coronavirus disease threat management".
Upon closure of the public call, all comments will be reviewed by a WHO in updating the draft document.