For the first time, WHO’s Western Pacific Region hosted an online Partners’ Forum from 1-3 July 2019 to collaborate on ideas for delivering better health in the Region.
Objective of the Forum
Across three days, the Partners’ Forum engaged civil society, WHO Collaborating Centres, academia, philanthropic foundations, the private sector and other partners in discussion on how to best deliver on the White Paper and make a positive impact on public health across the Region. Participants also discussed how to best deliver on the White Paper, which sets out a vision for the Region for the next five years and included both thematic priorities (the what) and operational shifts (the how).
Participation
The Forum was opened to all individuals and organizations who wished to collaborate with WHO on public health in the Western Pacific. Registration closed on 26 June 2019.
How the Forum Worked
The Forum took place entirely on Workplace, an online platform which works similarly to Facebook. Registrants received instructions on how to access Workplace and set up their accounts.
The Forum started at 09:00 Manila time (GMT +8) on Monday 1 July. There was a vast geographical diversity of participants who had registered. In the Western Pacific Region alone we had participants covering seven time zones, from Vientiane, Lao PDR in the West (GMT +7), to Apia, Samoa in the East (GMT +13).
The Forum was designed to be accessible to anyone in any time zone throughout the three days. Discussion took place across a series of Workplace groups. Participants had the option to join in and out of the conversation as they wished.
The Workplace groups included:
- The WPR Partners Forum group - the main discussion area for the Forum, was opened for the full three days.
- An opening session was held in this group 09:00-09:30 Manila time (GMT +8) on Monday 1 July. It included a conversation with Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, and key partners that was live streamed from Manila. Participants had the opportunity to post questions.
- A closing session was held in this group 12:00-12:30 on Wednesday 3 July, and was also live streamed from Manila. It included a wrap up of outcomes from the various group discussions.
- Four groups discussed the thematic priorities outlined in the White Paper. These groups were opened for 24 hours, which started 09:30 on Monday 1 July, and finished on 09:30, Tuesday 2 July.
- Health security including AMR
- NCDs & Ageing
- Climate change & environment
- Unfinished agendas
- Seven groups discussed the operational shifts outlined in the White Paper. These groups were opened for 24 hours, which started 09:30 on Tuesday 2 July, and finished on 09:30, Wednesday 3 July.
- Innovation
- Back-casting
- Grounds-up
- UHC/Systems approach
- Health beyond the health sector
- Strategic communications
- Measurement
- The Youth Town Hall began at 10:00, Tuesday 2 July with a live-streamed conversation between youth groups and the Regional Director, and was closed on 10:00, Wednesday 3 July.
- Young people have a vital role to play in the future of the Region’s health. During the Partners' Forum a 24-hour Youth Town Hall was held to hear specifically from young people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) made the Partner Forum available to registered users wishing to post content, and other users wishing to read and review posted content, for the purpose of discussing how to best deliver on the White Paper and make a positive impact on public health across the Region in an interactive and collaborative manner.
As this online forum sought to engage the civil society, WHO Collaborating Centres, academia, philanthropic foundations, the private sector and other partners, participants were solely responsible for their contributions, and readers were solely responsible for the interpretation of the posted content. Designations and terminology used by registered participants may be at variance with that used by the World Health Organization and did not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area, or of its authorities. The views expressed on the forum were those of the authors and did not necessarily reflect those of WHO. In no event shall WHO be responsible for the accuracy of information posted by any user on the forum.
The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products, should there be any, did not imply that they were endorsed or recommended by WHO. Participating institutions shall not use the name or emblem of the World Health Organization for any purpose, without the prior written consent of WHO.
Participants were asked to refrain from promotion of issues of a political nature.
The moderators reserve the right to remove any posts not in keeping with this guidance.