WHO and partners showcase first Pandemic Fund multi-country project in the Western Pacific

1 October, Manila — A landmark pandemic preparedness project spanning 12 Western Pacific countries was introduced by the World Health Organization, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Pandemic Fund Secretariat. The project — Data to Action: Stronger Pandemic Preparedness and Response Systems in the Western Pacific Region — is the Pandemic Fund’s first multi-country project in the Western Pacific Region. Launched in 2022, the Fund is a global financing mechanism to assist low- and middle-income countries to strengthen capacities to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics.

Government leaders, technical experts and development partners assembled virtually for the inaugural presentation as an advance side event to the upcoming session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, to be held from 19 to 22 October at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Philippines. A country-led response The project brings together Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Naoero, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Tonga, Tuvalu and Viet Nam. They will pool experiences and best practices to close persistent gaps in surveillance, laboratory capacity and emergency workforce readiness through building and strengthening capacity. Reflecting regional solidarity, governments used a multisectoral process that engaged governments, technical institutions, civil society organizations and development partners. The project design also emphasizes the importance of the One Health approach connecting human, animal and environmental health to strengthen health emergency preparedness and response…