This document summarizes the reform process at the World Health Organization to improve its work on outbreaks and emergencies. An advisory group of experts is overseeing the process and consulting staff at all levels of WHO as well as regional offices. The goal is to create a unified emergency response program at WHO with clear performance standards, a global health workforce, improved business processes, and a contingency fund to facilitate a more rapid and effective response to health crises. The reform proposal will be submitted to the WHO Executive Board in January 2016.

1. Reform of WHO’s Work in
Outbreaks and Emergencies
with Health and Humanitarian
Consequences
Guénaël R. Rodier

2. A request of WHO Member States
• Executive Board, January 2015:
– EBSS3.R1 / Ebola: ending the current outbreak, strengthening global preparedness and ensuring
WHO’s capacity to prepare for and respond to future large-scale outbreaks and emergencies with
health consequences
• World Health Assembly, May 2015:
– WHA68(10) / 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak and follow-up to the Special Session of the
Executive Board on Ebola
Most background from the report of the Ebola Interim Assessment Panel.

3. An active process
Overseen by WHO Director-General, supported by:
– the Advisory Group on Reform of WHO’s Work in Outbreaks and Emergencies with
Health and Humanitarian Consequences
• 19 high-level experts in large-scale emergency response, disaster preparedness, disease outbreak control
and crisis coordination. Chaired by United Nations Secretary-General Special Envoy on Ebola David
Nabarro
– a Project Team
• Led by Dr D. Kertesz, Project Director and WR/Mozambique (previously WR/Sierra Leone)
Fed by other processes, such as
– the Review Committee on the Role of the International Health Regulations (IHR)
(2005) in the Ebola Outbreak and Response
• 16 experts from the IHR Roster of Experts. Chaired by Professor D. Houssin

4. A comprehensive internal consultation
Involving all three levels of the Organization
– Global Policy Group meetings
– Deputy Director-General and Assistant Director-Generals
• Health security and Environment
• Polio and Emergencies
• Health system and Innovation
– Consultations with all six Regional Offices
• Global Emergency Management Team
• Chair of Advisory Group with each Regional Office
– Chair of Advisory Group with Global Health Cluster
– Chair of Advisory Group with Friends of the Resolution (Member States)

5. Aiming at a unified WHO Programme
for health emergencies
With:
• clear performance metrics built on partnerships with other responders
• a global health emergency workforce
• a new business processes to facilitate a rapid and effective response
• a contingency fund
• accelerated research and development activities in epidemics or health
emergencies.

6. • Predictable
• Capable
• Dependable
• Adaptable
• Accountable
• Within the Organization
• With adapted rules and
procedures
• A high level of readiness
With a strong Operational Support Platform

7. With a strong Operational Support Platform
Focused on operational capacity
Supporting:
• humanitarian crises and outbreaks
• preparedness, alert, response, recovery
• all three levels of the Organization
Coherent with UN partner operations
(e.g. WFP logistics; UNICEF procurements)

8. Building on relevant frameworks
programmes, networks and partnerships
• WHO’s unique global network
• IHR (2005)
• Emergency Response Framework (under revision)
• Partnerships, such as:
– UN system and other intergovernmental organizations (e.g. European Commission, African
Union)
– Global/Regional health security initiatives (e.g. Global Health Security Agenda)
– Foreign Medical Teams/Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network
– Major NGOs etc. (Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors)
– Global Health Cluster

9. Timeline
• Advisory Group and Project Management Team to end
on 31 December 2015
• The reform process to deliver a proposal to be submitted
to WHO Executive Board, January 2016

10. Thank you