The civil-military collaboration can play a unique and powerful role in strengthening health emergency preparedness through its various capacities and capabilities such as logistical support, medical and public health expertise, clinical facilities, and coordination. The aim of the online course is to provide the public health sector and military actors and services at the national level with guidance for establishing, advancing, and maintaining collaboration and coordination, with the focus on country core capacities required to effectively prevent, detect, respond to, recover from and build back better after health emergencies.
Language: English
Course information
Overview: This course describes the role effective civil-military health collaboration has in fortifying health emergency preparedness and health security.
In May 2018, the Seventy-first World Health Assembly endorsed the Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 13), which focused on improving public health preparedness and response. In November 2020, World Health Assembly resolution WHA73.8 emphasized the need for an all-hazards, multisectoral, coordinated approach to health emergencies. This approach, including military sector involvement, was reiterated in the 2021 WHA resolution 74.7.
The WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14), 2025–2028, overarching vision is to promote, provide and protect the health and well-being of all people, everywhere. It further emphasizes the need for robust multisectoral collaboration, mobilization and coordination of expert technical networks, and continuous innovation. The International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) require the 196 signatory countries to detect, assess, report, and respond to potential public health emergencies of international concern promptly. Improving collaboration between public health and military health services has been identified by WHO as a key area for enhancing health emergency preparedness.
Effective emergency response benefits from collaboration between the public health sector and non-traditional stakeholders, such as military health services, before emergencies arise. Instead of engaging support only during emergencies, effective management requires coordinated preparedness and health security measures. WHO advises involving military actors in health interventions, from prevention and preparedness to response and recovery. The course highlights the key elements for effective civil-military health collaboration for the development of national core capacity to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from health emergencies.
Course duration: Approximately 1 hour
Certificates: A Certificate of Achievement will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available on the quiz. Participants who receive a Certificate of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.
Acknowledgments: This e-learning course is developed by the Multisectoral Engagement for Health Security (MHS) Unit of the Health Security Preparedness (HSP) Department of the World Health Organization (WHO).
For more information, please contact:
- Mr Ludy Suryantoro, Head of Multisectoral Engagement for Health Security Unit, suryantorol@who.int
- Ms Romina Stelter, Technical Officer, stelterr@who.int
- Ms Helen Versland, Technical Officer, verslandh@who.int
What you'll learn
- Explain the key preliminary considerations for civil-military health collaboration at the national level.
- Describe how to establish a strategic collaboration for health emergency preparedness.
- Recognize differences between public health and military health services that might leverage the collaboration.
- Identify technical areas for civil-military collaboration to strengthen health emergency preparedness.
- Explain how to institutionalize civil-military health collaboration for health emergency preparedness.
- Describe jointly building capacities and training for health emergency preparedness.
Who this course is for
- The primary audience for this course includes members of the civil and military/security sectors, members of international organizations, as well as those involved in health emergency preparedness and health security.
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Certificate Requirements
- Gain a Record of Achievement by earning at least 80% of the maximum number of points from all graded assignments.
- Gain an Open Badge by completing the course.