October - December 2025
Cambodia–Thailand border conflict: WHO responds to the urgent health needs of affected communities
WHO, in coordination with the Humanitarian Response Forum and the National Committee for Disaster Management, conducted a joint rapid needs assessment among communities displaced by the recent Cambodia-Thailand border conflict. The assessment results will inform Cambodia’s coordinated response across sectors, including health care. As a lead technical health partner, WHO:
- provided trauma and emergency surgery and medical supplies;
- conducted disease surveillance and social listening to monitor and respond to public health risks;
- delivered vaccine support to ensure routine immunizations and measles vaccinations are available in displacement camps; and
- strengthened the capacity of health professionals to deliver psychological first aid and trauma-informed counseling.
Getting ready for the next pandemic: Western Pacific countries and areas carry out a key regional simulation exercise
At a time when health emergencies are happening faster than ever, 31 countries and areas from across the Western Pacific participated in an annual simulation exercise to test their readiness for the next pandemic. The latest iteration of IHR Exercise Crystal enabled them to assess their preparedness and practise procedures for cross-border and inter-agency responses to emerging health threats. Representatives from the participating countries and areas tested their communication capacities − as outlined in the International Health Regulations (IHR) − by responding in real time to incoming information about a fictitious novel respiratory illness. This work was made possible through support from the Asia−Europe Foundation (ASEF) and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Western Pacific countries and areas join forces to prevent cross-border health emergencies
A renewed effort to combat emergencies globally was launched at the seventy-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific — when Member States in the Western Pacific Region agreed on urgent action to strengthen international regulations for public health surveillance, alert and response. Countries joined forces to become the first WHO region to adopt a plan to implement recent amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). The endorsed plan includes the following prioritized actions:
- designate national IHR authorities to coordinate implementation of IHR;
- update national pandemic plans and relevant policy, contracts and agreements;
- adjust national legislation, administrative arrangements, policy and resources to support multisectoral implementation of the amendments; and
- identify priority measures to improve regional, collective readiness for future public health emergencies.
Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF) Stakeholders Meeting for the Western Pacific Region
The Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF) embodies countries’ shared commitment to collective action and multilateral cooperation. Building on the 2024 bi-regional meeting, this year’s Stakeholders Meeting brought together Member States, WHO, and partners from across the Western Pacific in a key forum to set priorities, sustain momentum, and translate commitments into concrete action for regional resilience and operational readiness. Meeting outcomes included the endorsement of a regional coordination mechanism to enhance emergency response readiness and a regional plan for operational readiness.
WHO is grateful for financial support received from Australia, the People's Republic of China, Japan, The Republic of Korea, and Singapore that enables and sustains health security in the Region.
Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell Training
A WHO-led Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC) Training brought together Ministries of Health, EMTs and disaster management agencies from 10 countries in the Western Pacific to strengthen the region’s ability to lead and coordinate during health emergencies. Delivered in partnership with the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre’s (NCCTRC) Regional Engagement Program (REP), the course combined global best practice with regional experience to reflect the realities of emergency response across the region. Many participants described how hearing different national perspectives deepened their understanding of coordination and helped them see how countries could work together more effectively during future health emergencies.
WHO conducts first in-country training on use of new risk assessment tools in Brunei Darussalam
In collaboration with Brunei Darussalam's Ministry of Health, WHO conducted the first-ever, in-country training (from 27-30 October 2025) of two new tools to support timely and thorough risk analysis: a Quick Initial Risk Assessment (QIRA) Algorithm and a Member State Rapid Risk Assessment (MS-RRA) tool. Close to 50 participants were introduced to the critical role that risk assessment plays during an emergency and practiced using the two risk assessment tools.
Cook Islands moves swiftly to strengthen health security through launch of national action plan
In a decisive step towards safeguarding public health and strengthening national resilience, the Cook Islands today launched its National Action Plan for Health Security 2026–2030 (NAPHS), just seven months after completing their first Joint External Evaluation. NAPHS is a costed, nationally owned, multisectoral roadmap that aims to strengthen the Cook Islands’ ability to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. It is part of a broader series of health security initiatives undertaken in the Cook Islands, which included training on the public health emergency operations centre, an Intra-Action review for the dengue outbreak, and a workshop to review and revise the national list of notifiable diseases.
From the Ground Up: Community-Led Efforts Keeping Dengue at Bay in Lao PDR
Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, remains a significant public health concern in Lao PDR, with outbreaks during the rainy season from May to October. Lao PDR's Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization identified ‘Best Practice Villages’, where dengue is being effectively controlled. Here, we amplify the voices and lessons learnt from villages that have demonstrated sustained success in addressing dengue.
Mongolia hosts first functional exercise for national health emergency workforce readiness and response
In a significant step toward strengthening health emergency workforce readiness, Mongolia became the first country to carry out the national health emergency workforce readiness and response functional exercise developed by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). Conducted on 14 and 15 October 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Mongolia, the exercise brought together experienced public health professionals from across Mongolia’s national institutions. Through the scenario-driven functional exercise, participants identified and tested how Mongolia’s workforce would respond in real time to an escalating public health emergency.
This work was enabled with support from the Gates Foundation and the Institute of Philanthropy.
Emergency simulation training builds a culture of preparedness and risk reduction in the Philippines
The Philippines faces a wide range of health emergencies each year, from disease outbreaks to climate-driven disasters that disrupt services and strain local systems. This means that emergency preparedness must remain a continuous effort woven into everyday operations beyond singular efforts activated only during crises. In October 2025, the Philippines Department of Health participated in a first-of-its-kind Simulation Exercise Management Course for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Operations. This landmark event aimed to strengthen the capabilities of diverse responders to design, deliver, and evaluate health emergency simulation exercises.
Solomon Islands health workers strengthen community resilience towards climate change and disasters
A WHO-led training on Climate Health and Disaster Risk Management aimed to prepare frontline workers in the Solomon Islands for the health challenges brought about by extreme weather, sea-level rise, and climate-change related disease outbreaks. The three-day training provided practical tools and hands-on exercises to help doctors, nurses, and public health officers develop local action plans and standard operating procedures for disaster preparedness and response
Tonga leads the way with Pacific’s first National Bridging Workshop
Health emergencies affect people, animals and ecosystems alike. Recognizing this, Tonga set a new precedent for the Pacific by hosting the region’s first National Bridging Workshop – a practical step toward stronger health security and better preparedness for future emergencies at the human-animal-environment interface. The workshop in October 2025 brought together stakeholders from across sectors and levels of government to create a space for collaboration and shared learning.
Viet Nam strengthens health emergency preparedness with risk profiling workshop in Da Nang
To strengthen health security and emergency preparedness for areas in Viet Nam that are vulnerable to climate-related disasters, WHO and the Pasteur Institute Nha Trang co-facilitated a workshop in October in Da Nang to develop a subnational emergency risk profile using WHO’s Strategic Tool for Assessing Risks (STAR). In line with the One Health approach that links human health with animal and environmental health, 32 participants at the three-day workshop represented key institutions across sectors. The workshop aligns closely with one of the recommendations from the 2025 Joint External Evaluation, which highlighted the need to institutionalize regular multi-hazard risk assessments to guide national and provincial preparedness planning.
KOICA-funded upgrades strengthen Fiji CDC lab capacity
In October 2025, with technical support from WHO, the newly renovated water laboratory and newly established food and leptospirosis laboratories were officially opened at the Fiji Centre for Disease Control in Suva, following major renovations, equipment upgrades and staff training on new equipment and techniques. This opening means faster detection which in turn means fewer people get sick thanks to increased testing capacity for climate-sensitive diseases like diarrhoeal illnesses and leptospirosis. The laboratory renovation was made possible through funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) under the Fiji SHAPE Project.
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: Volume 16 Issue 4.
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.
