January - March 2026

WHO supports rapid delivery of critical botulism antitoxin to Da Nang, Viet Nam

In March 2026, WHO delivered five vials of urgently needed botulism antitoxin to Da Nang to support three critically ill patients affected by suspected botulism. Botulism antitoxin is a rare, critical medicine that can prevent the toxin from causing further harm and significantly improve the chances of recovery when administered promptly. 

Upon receiving the alert from national health authorities, WHO mobilized rapidly across all three levels of the Organization — country office, regional office, and headquarters — to identify available supplies from the global stockpile in Geneva and arrange immediate transport to Viet Nam. WHO worked closely with the Ministry of Health, local health authorities, and airport and logistics partners to ensure the vials reached Da Nang as quickly and as safely as possible. 

WHO is grateful to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) for its continued partnership and support to health emergency operations in the Western Pacific.  

Botulism, was among several risks highlighted during a risk profiling and workforce mapping exercise conducted last year under the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) Initiative, which is funded by the Gates Foundation and the Institute of Philanthropy. Other risks prioritized through this exercises included measles and flooding, and WHO has taken additional measures — an 'After-Action Review of a recent flood response' and a 'GOARN deployment to strengthen Viet Nam's national immunization programme' — to mitigate these risks.

Beyond health: Pacific islands cast a wider net to strengthen health security

Across Pacific island countries and areas, climate-sensitive diseases have compounded existing health challenges. The need for urgent action was discussed at a meeting of Pacific islands from 3 to 5 February 2026, where, for the first time, more than 70 participants came together representing not only national IHR focal points but also the animal health and legal sectors. 

Participants shared experiences in strengthening human, animal, and environmental health under the approach known as One Health, bringing these sectors together. Vanuatu presented its flagship One Health Committee, and Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands highlighted progress and challenges.

“By strengthening coordination across health, agriculture, environment, biosecurity and other relevant sectors, countries are better able to identify risks early and respond effectively – often before those risks escalate into emergencies,” said Dr Mark Jacobs, WHO Representative to the South Pacific and the Director of Pacific Technical Support.

Securing Asia’s borders: cutting-edge learning programme boosts regional defense against future pandemics

In the bustling Asia-Pacific region, where maritime transport is often the very backbone of economies, seaports and ships present a persistent vulnerability as potential gateways for infectious diseases to spread both within the region and globally. Ensuring health security via these critical waterways is a fundamental prerequisite for the region’s stability, shared prosperity and collective public health resilience.

Member States belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with China, leveraged cutting-edge technology to strengthen maritime health security and cross-border cooperation. A three-day virtual learning programme brought together 201 participants to receive vital, competency-based capacity-building in core areas such as ship sanitation inspection procedures, certificate issuance and emergency management. Participants learnt how to identify and assess infectious diseases risks, take initial control measures and ensure rapid information-sharing for coordinated action.

“After this training, I realized that ocean liners - which host thousands of passengers - are effectively floating micro-cities where people, animals, water, food stores, ventilation and waste streams interact in a confined ecosystem,” said Ms Phary Yim from the Cambodia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This human-animal-environment nexus truly demands a One Health lens to detect and break transmission of zoonotic, vector-borne and waterborne threats before arriving at the next port. This training was incredibly valuable in understanding our role in outbreak prevention and response within this specific context.”

Beyond the plate: How multisectoral collaboration is advancing food safety in the Philippines

It is estimated that 9 million people in the Philippines suffer from foodborne illnesses annually, leading to significant productivity losses and thousands of deaths. These challenges are intensified by the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters — around 20 typhoons each year — that amplify the spread of food-borne illnesses, such as diarrhoeal diseases. 

Putting in place a National Food Safety Crisis Management Plan was therefore a key recommendation from the Philippines’ most recent Joint External Evaluation of International Health Regulations capacities

On 28 January 2026, the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) joined forces with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to craft and finalize the first country’s first comprehensive Food Safety Crisis Management Plan. 

Samoa officially launches One Health Pandemic Preparedness and Response project

In February 2026, the Government of Samoa, through the Ministries of Health; Agriculture and Fisheries; and Natural Resources and Environment, together with partners including the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and WHO officially launched the One Health Pandemic Preparedness and Response project, with financial support from the Pandemic Fund.

Samoa has been awarded around US$ 4.8 million in grant financing during the second round of Pandemic Fund. The project will reinforce critical systems and processes that enable Samoa to respond more effectively to emerging infectious diseases, climate-related health risks, and zoonotic threats. 

"Today’s launch is more than a ceremonial event. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in Samoa’s health security journey, where preparedness is not an option but a shared responsibility,” said Minister of Health Hon Va’aaoao Salumalo Alofipo.

Brunei Darussalam and Samoa strengthen One Health collaboration through zoonotic disease prioritization

Grab and go: enabling Vanuatu's national emergency medical team to master emergency response logistics

Emergency Medical Teams, or EMTs, have long played a crucial role in responding to a range of crises globally. WHO’s EMT initiative seeks to improve the timeliness and quality of health services provided by national and international EMTs. The island nation of Vanuatu has experienced several emergencies in recent years, underscoring the importance of the Vanuatu Medical Assistance Team, VanMAT, the country’s national EMT. Ensuring VanMAT remains fit-for-purpose all year round is key.  

In December 2025 WHO supported VanMAT in an EMT logistics training. VanMAT member Bong George Masseng, who is also the Projects and Aid Coordination Officer at the Ministry of Health, shares his experience participating in that training and its immense value to his work.  

WHO and VanMAT are grateful for support received from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) that enables EMT development and coordination work in Vanuatu and across the Pacific.  

Solomon Islands and WHO: Working together to strengthen health security

In February 2026,  Solomon Islands' Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), with support from WHO, conducted an IHR Annual Self-Assessment workshop. Attended by national experts from 15 technical areas, representatives from MHMS and line ministries, and points of entry such as air, land, and sea passages for international entry or exit in a country, the States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) workshop emphasizes the importance of health emergency preparedness and the collaborative, multi-stakeholder efforts to improve the public health systems' response to health emergencies, including to public health events of international concern and pandemics.

The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of IHR national focal points, finalize the SPAR report for the year 2025, and address challenges in completing the SPAR. “We must be ready for the next health emergency,” said Dr Nemia Bainivalu, Deputy Secretary for Health Improvement/Public Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS). “Whether it will be from an infectious disease, chemical contamination, radiation exposure, or a foodborne illness, being prepared for any uncertainty makes our multisectoral approach to dealing with emergencies essential.”

Tonga launches five-year multi-hazard strategy for risk communication and community engagement

The Kingdom of Tonga has taken a significant step toward strengthening its preparedness for public health emergencies with the launch of its second Multi-Hazard Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Strategy 2026–2030.

Led by the Ministry of Health and with support from WHO, the launch reflects a continued commitment to a more proactive, coordinated and community-centred approach in managing health risks and emergencies.

“This is about putting the power of information in the hands of our communities … building a culture where people are informed, engaged, and ready to face any challenge,” said Chief Executive Officer for Health Dr Reynold ‘Ofanoa.

Strengthening the Philippines’ capacity to understand and improve its health information landscape for emergency response

As health information spreads faster both online and offline, communities are increasingly exposed to both reliable public health advice and misleading and potentially harmful content. 

In The Philippines became the first country in the WHO Western Pacific Region to pilot WHO's Information Environment Assessment tool. Developed by WHO in 2025, with the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Information Environment Assessment tool is designed to strengthen government capacity to understand and analyse information flows and enable strategic, evidence-based responses to misinformation. 

Participants in the Philippine training were introduced to how information systems function, and various tools that they can leverage to better understand how online and offline narratives influence public perceptions and behaviours. 

The training was supported through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework and facilitated by the PHOENIX team (Public Health Operations in Emergencies for National Strengthening in the Indo-Pacific) from Australia’s National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC).

Timely detection and early response

WHO works closely with countries around the world to collect health information, analyze outbreak trends, and share intelligence and response strategies. All of this is aimed at strengthening the global disease surveillance system. WHO uses AI technologies to scan about 10,000 pieces of information every week in the Western Pacific region, enabling early detection of potential threats and prompt risk assessment.

From January-March 2026, our region’s scanning systems identified around 400 signals (potential public health emergencies) and 14 new events.

Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal 

The Editorial Team of Western Pacific Surveillance and Response (WPSAR) is pleased to announce the publication of the latest issue: 

• Development and utilization of an open-data, web-based geographic information system to support the response to the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, Japan by Ryo Horiike et al.
• Description of events reported to the Australian National Focal Point, 2014–2023 by Amish Talwar and Martyn D Kirk
• Detection of a Serratia sarumanii outbreak in neonatal intensive care units using SaTScan and whole genome sequencing, Philippines, 2022 by Giselle V Godin et al.
• Investigation of the first carbon monoxide poisoning cluster associated with a hotpot restaurant in Thailand, 2023 by Siriyakorn Thanasitthichai et al.
• COVID-19 mortality in the Philippines: province-level ecological analysis, 2020–2023 by Jimuel Celeste Jr et al.
• Acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis outbreak attributed to coxsackievirus A24 in Ratanakiri, Cambodia, 2023 by Kimhour Lay et al.
• Implementation of fireworks-related injury surveillance in Metro Manila, Philippines, 2023–2024 by Kenneth Paul Ong

WPSAR is an open access, peer-reviewed journal housed in WPRO/WHE that serves as an information-sharing platform, publishing articles on health security activities for public health emergencies and events in the Region. If you have an idea for an article, please feel free to consult us by emailing wpsar@who.int.