Health emergency response can be complex—involving multiple agencies, diverse contexts and intense pressure. Strong coordination is therefore critical to maximize effectiveness, minimize duplication of effort, and ultimately save lives.
A standout example of an effective emergency coordination mechanism is the Pacific Joint Incident Management Team (JIMT). During the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO and partners formalized the JIMT to coordinate action across 21 Pacific Island countries and areas. The mechanism remains a reliable platform for partner coordination across the Pacific.
At the Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF) Stakeholders Meeting for the Western Pacific (25-27 November 2025), WHO introduced Member States to a regional coordination concept: the Joint Emergency Risk Management Action Plan (JERMAP). JERMAP aims to learn from effective models like the Pacific JIMT to inform rapid, predictable, scalable regional coordination.
Introducing this concept, Dr Gina Samaan, Regional Emergencies Director for the Western Pacific Region, stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic was more than a health crisis—it reshaped how countries prepare, how they respond, how they share information, and how they work together. JERMAP is a practical way to bring together what already works across the Region and make it more predictable, more aligned, and more ready for the next emergency.”
Drawing best practices from existing coordination mechanisms
At the APHSAF Stakeholders Meeting, Member States examined how existing systems can connect and how countries and partners can collectively build a model of emergency coordination that the Region can depend on.
APSHAF participants learned from rich examples of existing coordination mechanisms across the Region:
ASEAN Public Health Emergency Coordination System (APHECS): Jennifer dela Rosa, Assistant Director and Head of Health Division, ASEAN Secretariat, introduced APHECS which coordinates ASEAN Member States in preparedness and response to future pandemics and public health emergencies.
Indo-Pacific Health Security Alliance (IPhsa): Air Commadore Nicole dos Santos, Director General Operational Health, Australian Defense Force, introduced the critical role Iphsa plays in fostering collaboration between health and security sectors.
The foundations of JERMAP thus already exist — in the Pacific JIMT, in ASEAN’s coordination mechanisms, the Ind-Pacific Health Security Alliance, and in many other bilateral and multilateral partnerships across the Region.
A regional coordination process for emergency response
While each of these coordination mechanisms bring value, they often operate in silos — focusing on a specific response or geographical area. Meeting participants agreed to a process that not only draws on best practices from existing mechanisms, but also addresses their gaps and limitations.
At the APHSAF Stakeholders Meeting, Member States will use the JERMAP concept for scenario-based planning to reduce fragmentation and to improve timely, reliable, and equitable health emergency preparedness and response. Next steps in the road towards JERMAP will be to establish a working group to guide its further development.