Introducing WHO’s Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) Framework

In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) as part of its efforts to strengthen global health emergency preparedness and response. The recently published GHEC Framework sets out guiding principles for standardizing health emergency workforce structures worldwide.

Anchored within WHO’s broader Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPR) framework, the GHEC emphasizes collaboration across the “5Cs”: collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, and access to countermeasures. It defines the global body of experts in ministries and agencies who manage health emergencies, and the network that connects them at regional and global levels.

The framework aims to improve coordination by linking surge response mechanisms, facilitating information exchange, and expanding access to expertise and human resources during crises. It promotes ongoing preparedness through training, simulations, and governance to strengthen countries’ response capacities.

Importantly, IANPHI was among the co-design partners of the GHEC Framework, with active involvement from Duncan Selbie, IANPHI President; Sadaf Lynes, IANPHI Director of Collaborative Surveillance, Workforce and Health Emergencies and Andrew Lee, IANPHI Technical Lead.

As the first version, the framework will evolve with experience, representing a vital advance toward faster, smarter, and more coordinated global health emergency responses.

Read the full GHEC Framework on WHO’s website https://www.who.int/publications/b/78043 or click here.