On 28 April 2025, the WHO Regional Office for the South-East Asia (SEARO), in collaboration with WHO Headquarters, convened a virtual planning meeting with focal points from WHO country offices in the region that receive support through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC) fund.
As part of the ongoing PIP PC operational planning for the biennium 2026-27, the meeting aimed to provide an overview of key global priorities under each of the six deliverables for Outputs 1 and 2 of the PIP PC High-Level Implementation Plan 2024–2030 (HLIP III). Convening such a meeting to discuss and align global, regional, and national priorities was particularly vital in the current financial landscape, given the need to sustain core influenza surveillance and pandemic preparedness functions.
The meeting was attended by: (1) PIP PC focal points at WHO country offices from the ten PIP PC recipient countries in the South-East Asia Region (SEAR)—Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste; (2) staff from WHO SEARO; and (3) global output leads for Output 1 (Policy and Planning) and Output 2 (Collaborative Surveillance through GISRS) from WHO headquarters, including the Global Influenza Programme, the Pandemic Preparedness Global Platform, and the PIP Secretariat.
On behalf of the PIP PC Project Manager at SEARO, Dr Ashok Basnet, a consultant from the Infectious Hazard Management unit, welcomed all participants. At the outset, he shared the objectives of the meeting and provided an overview of the operational guidance for planning PIP PC activities for the 2026–2027 biennium, specifically related to Outputs 1 and 2 under HLIP-III. Subsequently, global output leads from WHO headquarters presented the global priorities related to policy and planning, as well as collaborative surveillance through Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS).
Caption: Participants (WHO HQ, SEARO and WCOs) of PIP PC Planning Meeting for the biennium 2026–2027
Global Priorities on HLIP III Output 1-Policies and Plans
Building on WHO’s mandate for pandemic preparedness, Dr Sarah Hess, Acting Head of the Pandemic Preparedness Global Platforms Unit in the Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management Department of the WHO Health Emergencies (WHE) Programme in Geneva, highlighted the approach of leveraging Module 1 of WHO’s Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative to enhance epidemic and pandemic preparedness for groups of respiratory pathogens (including influenza, SARS-CoV, and other respiratory threats). Dr Hess elaborated on global priorities for pandemic planning, emphasizing the need to strengthen preparedness and response capacities through national workshops, training, simulation exercises, and related activities. She also underscored the importance of creating synergies with complementary frameworks, such as the MOSAIC framework.
This was followed by a presentation by Dr Shoshanna Goldin, Technical Officer from the same Pandemic Preparedness Global Platforms Unit. Dr Goldin provided insights into global priorities for seasonal influenza vaccination for 2026–2027. These priorities include the development and periodic review of national influenza vaccination programmes, conducting impact assessments, training the health workforce, and implementing other strategic actions to strengthen vaccination efforts.
Similarly, Dr Vanessa Cozza, Technical Officer at the Global Influenza Programme (GIP), WHO Headquarters, provided an overview of influenza burden of disease (BOD) estimation and related priority activities. She highlighted WHO’s ongoing technical support to countries in estimating influenza BOD and using these data to inform policy decisions. Key initiatives include the rollout of Phase II of the Influenza Burden Pyramid Tool and the development of advocacy and communication materials to support evidence-based decision-making.
Global priorities on HLIP III Output 2: Collaborative surveillance through Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS)
Dr Sergejs Nikisins, Technical Officer from the Global Influenza Programme at WHO Headquarters, emphasized that GISRS — the foundation of the PIP Framework — has supported global influenza surveillance, preparedness, and response for over 70 years. With 160 institutions across 130 Member States, GISRS plays a critical role in detecting emerging influenza viruses and assessing pandemic risks. However, disruptions in the supply of Influenza Reagents and Resources (IRR) threaten year-round surveillance, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Such risks could lead to vaccine mismatches, delays in candidate vaccine virus (CVV) development, undetected pandemic threats, and weakened global preparedness.
Additionally, Dr Sergejs emphasized that sustaining and strengthening GISRS functionality requires bridging gaps in reagent availability, virus sharing, and genomic sequencing capacity. He elaborated on the budget calculations for workplan development, referencing the minimum testing requirements outlined in WHO guidance, and underscored the need for coordinated efforts to improve budget planning for the 2026–2027 biennium.
Building on the global perspective, Mr Haytham Mohamed, Technical Officer for National Influenza Networks (IHM/SEARO), stressed the critical importance of sustaining core surveillance activities under Output 2 in the upcoming PIP work plan, especially amid current global funding constraints. He emphasized the need to prioritise IRR and virus shipping and urged WCO colleagues to proactively plan and allocate budgets for these essential components. Acknowledging that some countries may face funding challenges, he noted that the Regional Office stands ready to provide additional support through the regional budget, with discussions tailored to country-specific needs. He also encouraged countries to reach out directly for support and coordination, to ensure that all key surveillance activities are fully integrated into the biennial work plan.
Discussions and next steps
Following the technical presentations, an open discussion took place, allowing WHO country office focal points to seek clarifications and engage in contextual discussions with regional and global counterparts. The meeting conveners encouraged countries to reach out to the regional office for any specific clarifications or guidance. Participants appreciated the structured guidance provided, highlighting that it will greatly assist in developing targeted and high-impact activities under the PIP-PC funding mechanism.
The timing of the call was strategically planned to allow sufficient time for WHO Country Offices to finalize their draft work plans and submit them to the regional office. This ensures the regional office can review, facilitate revisions, and submit the final consolidated plans for SEAR, including WHE, on time, meeting the deadline. Through such coordinated planning efforts, SEARO and its Member States continue to strengthen pandemic influenza preparedness and contribute to a more resilient global health emergency architecture.