Advancing Global Health Through Collaboration and Shared Responsibility
Lyon, France, April 7-9, 2026
It was a great honour to participate in the Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres, held in Lyon from 7–9 April 2026, under the theme “Collaborating for a Healthier Future.”This important gathering brought together representatives from over 800 WHO Collaborating Centres worldwide, alongside WHO leadership and key stakeholders, to reflect on the evolving role of our network in supporting the WHO Global Programme of Work (GPW14) and strengthening collective impact across regions.
In this context, The European Centre for Disaster Medicine was proud to contribute actively as a redesignated WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Security, CBRNe, and the Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) Initiative, and to participate as a speaker in the EURO regional breakout session “From global direction to regional delivery.”
This session provided a valuable platform to translate global strategic priorities into concrete regional actions, with a strong focus on enhancing interregional collaboration and networking, strengthening country-level impact through WHO CC engagement, promoting capacity building and knowledge exchange across networks, exploring the responsible integration of emerging technologies, including AI, in public health systems
A key takeaway from the Forum is the increasing importance of structured, evidence-driven collaboration as a fundamental enabler of effective global health action. In this context, WHO Collaborating Centres play a unique role, bridging science, policy, and operational implementation, and supporting WHO at global, regional, and country levels.
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