The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a comprehensive guide, the National Health Emergency Alert and Response Framework, to help countries strengthen their preparedness and response to health emergencies.
Developed with input from global experts and organizations and informed by real-world experiences, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the framework offers a consistent and proven approach to emergency management.
Health emergencies are becoming more frequent and complex, driven by factors such as climate change, urbanization, geopolitical shifts, and increased global mobility. This new guidance equips national and subnational authorities with the tools and strategies needed for a rapid, coordinated, multi-sectoral response, which is essential to minimize suffering and death at times of crisis.
The framework brings together the core components of the Health Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (HEPR) architecture, which integrated over 300 recommendations following the COVID-19 pandemic. Intended for government authorities and all stakeholders involved in health emergency response, it provides practical tools like checklists and flowcharts, referencing existing guidance from WHO and partners.
The framework outlines the different stages of a health emergency, from detection and notification to risk assessment, activation of emergency procedures, response interventions, and operational review. It also promotes the integration of performance evaluation into response for different hazards, and introduces timelines for the completion of key activities for both outbreaks and disasters, building on the 7-1-7 evaluation framework, which sets performance targets of 7 days to detect an outbreak, 1 day to notify public health authorities, and 7 days to complete early response actions.