New and updated learning materials on Marburg virus disease to support outbreak response

OpenWHO provides critical knowledge and tools to effectively manage and contain outbreaks of infectious diseases, including the current outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD).

Our introductory MVD course was recently updated to align with new evidence and best practices. This course outlines the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, transmission routes and epidemiology of the disease, as well as prevention and control strategies. You can register for the course here.

We also launched a new course on infection prevention and control measures in health-care settings for Ebola or Marburg disease outbreaks. This course provides an overview of the modes of transmission of these viruses, the personal protective equipment required by health and care workers, and measures to take for rapid identification and isolation as well as managing the environment. Register for the new course here and earn a certificate if you score at least 80% on the assessments.

NEW HEALTH EMERGENCIES COURSES

Accountability to Affected People in WHO Health Emergencies: This course aims to build health learners’ capabilities in promoting and implementing approaches to strengthen Accountability to Affected Populations in WHO health emergency responses, with the goal of ensuring that communities affected by crises are meaningfully and continuously involved in decisions that directly impact their lives.

Introduction to oxygen systems: This course is an introduction to medical oxygen systems. All healthcare workers who use medical oxygen systems should understand the whole oxygen ecosystem and should be able to outline safety considerations of oxygen systems implemented in their facilities so that quality medical oxygen safely reaches all patients in need.

NEW PUBLIC HEALTH COURSES

Clinical management of dengue patients in the South-East Asia Region: The course provides an orientation for the health workforce of the Member States in the South-East Asia Region on the latest relevant guidance and expert experience on clinical case management across the region.

Global competency standards for the provision of health services to refugees and migrants: This course enhances the knowledge and understanding of health workers and health services regarding the application of the World Health Organization’s Refugee and Migrant Health: Global Competency Standards for Health Workers.

Research ethics: This course examines the ethical issues that arise in global health research and discusses how ethics concepts can be sensitively applied to ensure that health-related research protocols with human participants are ethical.

Ethics and review of interventional clinical research: This course provides learners with a foundational understanding of key scientific and ethical issues in the design and review of clinical trials to enable them to critically analyse applications for clinical trials in their local region.

Integrating ethics and governance into the design of artificial intelligence tools for health. Case study: Cervical cancer screening: This course follows a case-based approach focusing on a use case that explores enhancing access to cervical cancer screening for undocumented migrant women using an artificial intelligence (AI) tool.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment: key concepts and interventions: In this course, participants will learn why addressing AMR in the environment is essential and gain insights into how action can be taken to prevent and control AMR in the environment at the national level.

Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT) for improved quality of care: This course covers the foundational concepts of WASH FIT, the methodology and examples of its application from a wide range of settings.

Atopic dermatitis with focus on Sub-Saharan Africa: Training for national and district-level health workers: This course provides comprehensive information about the cause, diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis, with special consideration to Sub-Saharan countries and dark skin.

Psoriasis: This course explores the epidemiology, clinical presentation and subtypes, diagnosis and management of psoriasis.

Resources for control and management of cystic echinococcosis: This course provides basic resources about the One Health control measures to stop the parasite transmission cycle and the measures to prevent and manage human infection.

Lymphatic filariasis morbidity management and disability prevention: In this course, participants will learn about the essential package of care that the WHO recommends for patients suffering from lymphoedema, elephantiasis and hydrocele.

Phasing down dental amalgam and implementing environmentally sound practices to manage amalgam waste: This course is intended to enhance the knowledge and skills of oral health personnel in phasing down the use of dental amalgam and implementing environmentally sound practices to manage its associated wastes.

Social determinants of health equity: concepts and evidence: This course provides health professionals with essential knowledge about the social determinants of health, the conditions in which people live and work that significantly impact health outcomes.

An introduction to the people-centred approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human health: This course is intended for national and subnational policy-makers responsible for prioritizing and leading AMR interventions in the human health sector, through multisectoral national action plans (NAPs) on AMR.

Wound management in resource-limited settings: Training for national and district-level health workers: This course addresses the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and psychological and socioeconomic impacts of wounds for front-line healthcare workers in resource-limited settings.

We are pleased to announce that OpenWHO now has a total of 309 courses with learning resources spread across 75 languages. All courses can be accessed here. You can use the toolbar to filter courses by language and topic.

Celebrating 9 million enrolments: Thanks for being part of our learning community

OpenWHO is now an online global community 9 million enrolments strong!

Learning saves lives, especially in health emergencies. Thank you for empowering yourselves and others to make a difference in public health.

Monthly newsletter

You can access the most recent newsletter here.

OpenWHO is changing in 2025: Learn what this means for you

The OpenWHO that you have all come to know over the past 7 years is getting a refresh!

As of 2025, the site will become a learning resource hub with a library of videos, slides, handouts and other capacity-building materials for use and adaptation. The hub will focus specifically on health emergencies and provide knowledge resources from WHO experts that can be adapted for local contexts.

What is changing exactly?

The new site will be completely open without registration and will not provide certificates. Rather than enrolling in individual courses, you will be able to browse learning materials organized by topic and utilize the videos, slides and handouts however is most useful to you.

The site will focus specifically on operational learning materials for outbreaks and other health emergencies rather than public health issues more broadly.

What does this mean for me?

If you want to save your existing course certificates, you must visit your OpenWHO learner profile by 31 December to download them for your records. Beginning in January, the site will transition to its new format and your certificates will no longer be accessible.

Similarly, if you would like to save any materials from courses that you have found particularly useful, we recommend that you download them by the end of this year as courses may be moved or retired based on input from WHO subject-matter experts.

The new OpenWHO will continue to host many of the same videos, slides and handouts related to health emergencies, with new and updated resources continually added to meet the needs of future crises.

Best wishes,

OpenWHO team

All healthcare workers who use medical oxygen systems should understand the whole oxygen ecosystem and should be able to outline safety considerations of oxygen systems implemented in their facilities so that quality medical oxygen safely reaches all patients in need.

Our latest course provides an introduction to medical oxygen systems. The 2-hour course is designed for health workers, biomedical engineers and technicians, and any other personnel managing medical oxygen systems, and offers a Certificate of Participation for those who complete all course material.

Medical oxygen is a life-saving essential medicine with no substitute. It is used for the management of hypoxaemia across both communicable and noncommunicable diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the treatment of some acute HIV-, tuberculosis-, cancer-, cardiovascular-, and malaria-related conditions.

Medical oxygen is essential for surgery and for stabilizing patients in critical care and trauma wards. Of notable importance, access to medical oxygen is critical for pregnant women during and after delivery, for newborns in respiratory distress, and for other vulnerable groups including, but not limited to, neonates, children, and ageing populations. Oxygen needs are ever-present and span the healthcare continuum.

In many developing countries, not all health facilities have uninterrupted access to adequate volumes of medical oxygen, a shortcoming that contributes to preventable deaths. These already taxed systems were further stressed during the COVID-19 pandemic when the need for medical oxygen grew beyond existing capacities.

As a result, there has been a global effort to scale up and increase access to medical oxygen by implementing different types of oxygen systems. These systems for production, storage and distribution of medical oxygen constitute various highly interdependent components including medical devices, pressure vessels and specialised ancillary equipment.

Increasing accessibility of medical oxygen requires tackling the whole oxygen ecosystem and, when acquiring new technologies, a comprehensive planning process followed by meticulous implementation, which must consider ongoing operations, maintenance and monitoring.

Access the new course here.

In just over 7 years, we have seen OpenWHO.org grow from a brand new learning platform designed to share lifesaving knowledge during health emergencies to an online global community 9 million enrolments strong.

We could not be more grateful to everyone across the world who has joined one of our 300 free courses to help strengthen health emergency response and public health. Thank you for learning with us, growing with us and evolving with us.

9 million enrolments is no small feat and we could not have gotten here without the work of WHO experts who have tirelessly developed courses even in the most difficult emergency contexts to help disseminate critical knowledge to those affected.

Learning saves lives, especially in health emergencies. Thank you for empowering yourselves and others to make a difference in public health.

On 27 September, the Rwanda Ministry of Health announced the confirmation of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in patients in health facilities in the country.

OpenWHO.org offers 3 different courses on MVD:

• Introduction to Marburg Virus Disease (1 hour)
• Ebola and Marburg diseases screening and treatment center design (2 hours)
• Infection prevention and control measures in health-care settings for Ebola or Marburg disease outbreaks (2 hours)

Browse the Marburg virus disease courses here and follow the latest updates on the WHO site.

On 30 September, we are celebrating International Translation Day by reflecting on the importance of translation in online learning.

We know learning is easier in your own language. That's why we are proud to offer OpenWHO materials in 75 languages through collaborations with WHO regional and country offices, language professionals and volunteers.

Browse the languages available on OpenWHO here.

You can learn more about International Translation Day here.

Essential learning resources for community protection against mpox are now available on a dedicated page.

Explore OpenWHO courses on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and infodemic management, as well as EPI-WIN webinars and other valuable tools to help you stay informed and safeguard your community.

Click here to access the page.

A webinar to launch the 2024 special issue will be held on 24 September 2024, 13:00-14:00 CET.

Register for the webinar here.

The year 2024 marks 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). Over these past five decades, EPI has galvanized national and global collaboration, helping to establish and enhance essential infrastructure as well as standardized processes to universalize access to immunization. And yet, inequalities persist in the coverage of immunization globally and across the life course. Evidence has revealed gaps or gradients in childhood and adult immunization within and across countries, and with respect to dimensions of inequality such as sex, gender, socio-economic status, place of residence and more.

Published in the international MDPI journal Vaccines, the 2024 special issue on inequalities and immunization places emphasis on research and review articles that deepen our understanding of immunization inequalities as well as highlight entry points or modalities to reduce them. It follows the 2023 special issue in the same journal that also spotlighted the latest state of the evidence in that year.

The special issue has been a collaborative effort led by Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor, with Nicole Bergen and Devaki Nambiar of the Department of Data and Analytics (World Health Organization), in collaboration with Carolina Danovaro-Halliday from the Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals (World Health Organization), Hope Johnson (Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance), and Ciara Sugerman (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). 

The webinar will feature video contributions from authors of the Special issue, insights and reflections from editors, with an open session for questions and answers.  

Agenda

Time (CET)	Topic	Presenter
1300 – 1303	Welcome	Devaki Nambiar, Consultant, Department of Data and Analytics, World Health Organization (WHO)
1303 – 1313	Opening remarks	Pavel Ursu, Acting Director, Department of Data and Analytics, WHO; Hope Johnson, Special Advisor to the CEO, Strategic Initiatives, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
1313 – 1318	Editorial summary	Nicole Bergen, Consultant, Health Inequality Monitoring Team, Department of Data and Analytics, WHO
1318 – 1348	Author summaries with chat-based Q&A	Authors who have contributed to the Special Issue
1348 – 1400	Closing remarks	Katherine O’Brien, Director, Department of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals, WHO; Samir Sodha, Deputy Director for Science, Global Immunization Division, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Browse online courses on the OpenWHO Health Inequality Monitoring channel here.

Learn more about WHO's work on health inequality monitoring here.

If you would like to receive periodic emails from the WHO Health Inequality Monitoring team about events, resources and training opportunities, please sign up here. 

Health Inequality Monitoring team | Department for Data and Analytics | World Health Organization | https://www.who.int/data/inequality-monitor  

Parliaments and parliamentarians play a unique and powerful role in achieving health security preparedness through their various responsibilities: law-making, oversight, budgetary allocation, and citizen representation.

High-level reviews of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of state capacity, social trust, and leadership when it comes to health emergency preparedness. Parliaments and parliamentarians are extremely well positioned to support, build, and strengthen these three aspects.

To support this work, OpenWHO offers a 1.5-hour course that delineates the role of parliaments in fortifying health emergency preparedness and health security.

The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) are legally binding for all countries, mandating the establishment and maintenance of core capacities for surveillance and response to public health risks and emergencies. These regulations aim to prevent, protect against, control, and respond to the international spread of disease in ways that align with public health risks, while minimizing interference with international traffic and trade.

As outlined in the 2021 WHA 73.8 Resolution on Strengthening Preparedness for Health Emergencies: Implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), WHO Member States have acknowledged the fundamental role of parliaments in enhancing capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to public health risks, as well as in promoting and adopting the IHR (2005). Furthermore, they have emphasized the importance of parliaments in facilitating all-inclusive multisectoral coordination for health emergency preparedness.

Effective response to health emergencies necessitates thorough multisectoral preparedness coordination. Parliaments and parliamentarians are pivotal in this regard. This course provides participants with an in-depth understanding of how parliamentarians can utilize their diverse roles and positions to advocate, lead, and prioritize improved emergency preparedness and health security.

Leveraging parliamentary functions such as law-making, oversight, accountability, and budgetary approval, alongside individual opportunities as representatives and community leaders, is essential to ensuring that emergency preparedness remains a priority and that the devastating impact of COVID-19 and other health emergencies is mitigated. Participants will receive practical suggestions, actionable recommendations, and additional resources for parliamentary engagement to bolster health emergency preparedness.

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.

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).

Access the course here.

Mpox learning materials available on OpenWHO to support outbreak response in Africa

The OpenWHO platform hosts open-access courses on mpox to support the response to the current emergency.

On 14 August, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations (2005).

The learning resources provide critical knowledge on the disease and have been developed to provide health care workers, public health professionals and other stakeholders with essential knowledge and tools to effectively manage and contain mpox.

These courses cater to different levels of knowledge and expertise, and are available in multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for a diverse audience. You can access each course below:

• Mpox and the 2022-2023 global outbreak
• Mpox: Introductory course for African outbreak contexts
• Mpox: Epidemiology, preparedness and response for African outbreak contexts

We are also pleased to announce the following courses that were recently made available:

Introduction to the WHO's Emergency Response Framework (ERF): The course is designed to provide an overview of WHO’s approach to emergency management, the ERF and the Incident Management System, with a fictional outbreak to guide learners through an emergency response from detection to response.

Training of Trainers on Digital Learning for Health Emergencies: This course consists of video recordings from part 1 of the Training of Trainers on Facilitating Interactive Synchronous Digital Learning hosted by the Learning & Capacity Development (LCD) Unit in the WHO Health Emergency Programme in collaboration with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Digital Learning in Health Emergencies, held on 23 May 2024.

Use of Epidemic Intelligence systems with a particular focus on event-based surveillance for pandemic preparedness: This course aims to support the creation of a culture of epidemic intelligence and increase awareness of the WHO Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) initiative that could bridge access to Member States for strengthening their epidemic Intelligence capacity.

The fundamentals of yellow fever disease, surveillance and laboratory diagnosis: This course provides an overview of the key considerations at the different levels of the surveillance structures, starting from recognition and reporting at the field level, through to laboratory diagnostics for confirmation, and the ongoing data management and analysis. The course is also available in French.

Investigation and management of a yellow fever outbreak: This course provides guidance on the necessary steps to investigate and comprehensively respond to a yellow fever outbreak, including accessing vaccines from emergency global stockpiles in a timely manner and adequately monitoring the impact of interventions. The course is also available in French.

Skin and Migration: Training for national, district-level and front-line health workers: The course examines the wide range of skin issues that affect migrants and discusses special considerations to keep in mind when providing care for this unique patient population.

The ABCs of diagnosing hyperhidrosis: This course is designed to enhance clinical proficiency and improve patient outcomes by equipping participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical tools for hyperhidrosis diagnosis.

Sweating and prosthesis care: evidence, experience, pearls and gaps: This course provides an actionable overview of the negative health and quality of life sequelae of excess sweating of the residual limb among prosthetic users, and how care providers can help.

Implementing active safety surveillance for medicines and vaccines: This course is designed to help all participants to successfully conduct Active Safety Surveillance studies in their countries.

New milestone: 75 languages available on OpenWHO

We are pleased to announce that OpenWHO now has a total of 284 courses with learning resources spread across 75 languages. Since June, the platform added the Maraba, Makonde and Romanian languages, reaching this new multilingual milestone. All courses can be accessed here. You can use the toolbar to filter courses by language and topic.

New module added to the Infodemic Management course on addressing health misinformation

The new module on “Disinformation and Public Health” aims to explain what disinformation is and how it differs from misinformation. The new module is available in the English and French courses.

Course series launched on TB community-based services

A new course series designed to provide in-depth knowledge and practical skills across 13 distinct modules was recently launched on the End TB channel. Each module of the series has been structured as an individual course, addressing different components essential to tuberculosis (TB) community-based services. These courses include: Awareness raising, risk communication, mobilization and meaningful engagement of community;

1. Awareness raising, risk communication, mobilization and meaningful engagement of community
2. Counselling of individuals at risk of TB
3. Non-clinical management of TB preventive treatment
4. Active TB case finding
5. Supported treatment observation
6. Case management of loss to follow-up and prevention of treatment interruption
7. Individual needs assessment
8. Mental health and psychological counselling and support
9. TB case management: non-clinical
10. Material support
11. Health education and counselling
12. Post-treatment social support and/or rehabilitation
13. Costing methodology

Monthly newsletter

You can access the most recent newsletter here.

Online flipbook

You can explore WHO’s learning response to health emergencies over the last 3 years in our flipbook here.

Best wishes,

OpenWHO team

Mpox transmission occurs via close contact with infected persons, animals, or objects.

Stay safe by avoiding exposure, keeping hands clean, and monitoring for symptoms.

Learn more on mpox here

Two new online courses on yellow fever are now available in English and French, with the opportunity to earn certificates and digital badges.

Investigation and management of yellow fever outbreaks

The course is targeted at field-level clinicians, surveillance personnel, and public health practitioners. It has the following objectives:

• to provide guidance on responding effectively to yellow fever outbreaks
• to cover investigation steps, accessing vaccines, and monitoring interventions.
  

At the end of the module, learners will have gain knowledge about outbreak investigation, vaccine application, response planning, and evaluation during outbreaks.

Fundamentals of yellow fever disease, surveillance, and laboratory diagnosis

This course is intended for clinicians, surveillance personnel, and public health practitioners. The course focuses on early detection and prevention of yellow fever outbreaks and covers surveillance structure, from field reporting to lab diagnostics and data management. Learners will understand yellow fever risks, case-based surveillance, data collection, and diagnostic pathways.

Both courses are available in English and French. A certificate of achievement will be available to participants who score at least 80% in the final assessment.

Enquête et gestion des épidémies de fièvre jaune

Ce cours s'adresse aux cliniciens de terrain, au personnel de surveillance et aux praticiens de la santé publique. Il poursuit les objectifs suivants fournir des conseils pour réagir efficacement aux épidémies de fièvre jaune couvrir les étapes de l'investigation, l'accès aux vaccins et le suivi des interventions.

A la fin du cours, les apprenants auront acquis des connaissances sur l'investigation des épidémies, l'application des vaccins, la planification de la réponse et l'évaluation pendant les épidémies.

Principes fondamentaux de la maladie de la fièvre jaune, de la surveillance et du diagnostic en laboratoire

Ce cours est destiné aux cliniciens, au personnel de surveillance et aux praticiens de la santé publique. Il se concentre sur la détection précoce et la prévention des épidémies de fièvre jaune et couvre la structure de la surveillance, depuis les rapports de terrain jusqu'aux diagnostics de laboratoire et à la gestion des données.

À la fin du cours, les apprenants comprendront les risques de la fièvre jaune, la surveillance basée sur les cas, la collecte de données et les voies de diagnostic. Lien vers le cours ici.

Les deux cours sont disponibles en anglais et en français. Un certificat de réussite sera remis aux participants qui auront obtenu au moins 80 % à l'évaluation finale.

Learning is easier in your own language.

That’s why we are proud to offer public health learning materials in 75 languages on OpenWHO.

Join a free online course in your language today on OpenWHO.org.

Every year on 19 August, we honour those who are working to meet the ever-growing humanitarian needs across the globe.

This World Humanitarian Day, we invite you to watch a 16-minute presentation by Aron Aregay from the WHO Ukraine Country Office on their experience localizing essential health learning in a war setting. The case study was presented at Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Weeks earlier this year.

OpenWHO currently offers 34 courses in the Ukrainian language to support the response to the Ukraine emergency. The courses are hosted on a dedicated Ukraine learning channel in collaboration with the country office.

In addition, OpenWHO provides courses on a variety of topics relevant for humanitarian response, including cholera outbreaks, readiness for response operations, and preventing and responding to sexual misconduct.

• Browse all OpenWHO courses here.
• Read more about World Humanitarian Day here.

The OpenWHO platform hosts open-access courses on mpox to support the response to the current emergency.

On 14 August, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations (2005).

The learning resources have been developed to provide health care workers, public health professionals and other stakeholders with essential knowledge and tools to effectively manage and contain mpox.

These courses cater to different levels of knowledge and expertise, and are available in multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for a diverse audience.

Mpox and the 2022-2023 global outbreak: This course aims to provide a general overview of mpox, with a focus on new information on the disease and lessons learned from the global outbreak. The course is intended for health workers and the public to help make informed decisions and take appropriate preventive measures to protect themselves against mpox. Available in the following languages:

• English: https://openwho.org/courses/mpox-global-outbreak-2023
• French: https://openwho.org/courses/variole-simienne-epidemie-mondiale-2023
• Spanish: https://openwho.org/courses/viruela-simica-brote-mundial-2023

Mpox: Introductory course for African outbreak contexts : This course provides a general introduction to mpox and is intended for health personnel responsible for prevention and control of mpox. Available in the following languages:

• Arabic: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-introduction-ar
  
• Chinese: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-introduction-zh
• English: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-introduction
• French: https://openwho.org/courses/variole-du-singe-introduction
• Naijá: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-introduction-pcm
• Portuguese: https://openwho.org/courses/introducao-variola-dos-macacos
• Russian: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-introduction-ru
• Spanish: https://openwho.org/courses/viruela-del-mono-introduccion

Mpox: Epidemiology, preparedness and response for African outbreak contexts: This course offers public health officers and health workers in-depth information to understand the epidemiology, modes of transmission, clinical presentation, diagnostics, and treatment of mpox, as well as the strategies needed for effective prevention and outbreak investigation and response. Available in the following languages:

• Arabic: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-intermediate-ar
  
• Chinese: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-intermediate-zh
• English: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-intermediate
• French: https://openwho.org/courses/variole-du-singe-intermediaire
• Portuguese: https://openwho.org/courses/variola-dos-macacos-intermedio
  
• Russian: https://openwho.org/courses/monkeypox-intermediate-ru
• Spanish: https://openwho.org/courses/viruela-del-mono-intermedio

A new online course that introduces how WHO functions in health emergencies has been just launched.

You can access it here: https://openwho.org/courses/ERF

The course is designed to provide an overview of WHO’s approach to emergency management, the ERF and the Incident Management System, with a fictional outbreak to guide learners through an emergency response from detection to response.

You can complete the 2-hour course at your own pace, whenever and wherever your schedule allows. If you score at least 80% on the assessment, you will earn a certificate of achievement.

Join and share!

OpenWHO team

How does WHO function in health emergencies?

OpenWHO has launched an online course that introduces the new version of WHO's Emergency Response Framework (ERF). You can access it here: https://openwho.org/courses/ERF

The course is designed to provide an overview of WHO’s approach to emergency management, the ERF and the Incident Management System, with a fictional outbreak to guide learners through an emergency response from detection to response.

You can complete the 2-hour course at your own pace, whenever and wherever your schedule allows. If you score at least 80% on the assessment, you will earn a certificate of achievement.

Join and share!

We are excited to announce the launch of our new free course, Use of Epidemic Intelligence Systems with a particular focus on event-based surveillance for pandemic preparedness.

This comprehensive course is designed to enhance your knowledge, skills and attitudes towards epidemic intelligence, providing the tools needed to improve preparedness and early warning capabilities.

What will you learn?

The course consists of 5 individual learning modules of 6 to 18 minutes each. It focuses on the use of epidemic intelligence systems, enhancing your ability to identify and respond to public health threats effectively.

You will learn from the extensive experience of leading global health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), and the Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS).

Furthermore, you will gain insights through practical examples and case studies showcasing Member States' experiences in implementing epidemic intelligence systems.

Why enrol?

By enrolling, you will improve your ability to utilize epidemic intelligence systems to better prepare for pandemics, and equip yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to contribute to your country's epidemic intelligence efforts.

You can complete the 4-hour course at your own pace, whenever and wherever your schedule allows.

Also, you will earn a certificate of achievement if you score at least 80% in the final assessment.

Spread the word!

Please share this free course within your network and community.

This course is ideal for public health professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of epidemic intelligence as a fundamental tool for early warning and preparedness. Whether you are working at the national, regional or local level, this course offers valuable insights that can be applied to your specific context.

Don't miss this opportunity, enrol today and join us in building a safer, more prepared world.

This course has been developed as a collaboration led by ISS within the framework of the 2021 Italian Presidency of the G20, in collaboration with the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, ECDC and US CDC.

On 7 July, OpenWHO invites you to celebrate the 3rd annual World Kiswahili Language Day by enrolling in one of the 5 Swahili courses available on our learning platform.

This includes the Swahili translation of the Introduction to Marburg Virus Disease course, which provided support for the 2023 outbreak in the United Republic of Tanzania. You can read more about the response in WHO's May 2023 Monthly Operational Update on Health Emergencies.

• Browse OpenWHO's Swahili language courses here.
• Filter all OpenWHO courses by language here.
• Read more about World Kiswahili Language Day here.

On 12 June, the OpenWHO team hosted a global anniversary webinar with nearly 4400 participants for a behind-the-scenes look at how just-in-time learning has been used to strengthen public health across the world.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made a surprise appearance, which you can watch here.

The webinar explored course series on infection prevention and control, neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and COVID-19 vaccination, as well as learning tailored for the South-East Asia Region. It included the following speakers:

• Heini Utunen, Unit Head, Learning and Capacity Development, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
• Dr Michael J. Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, and Deputy Director-General
• Dr April Baller, Team Lead, Infection Prevention & Control and Water Sanitation & Hygiene, Healthcare Readiness Unit, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
• Elisabeth Oey, Technical Officer, Global TB Programme, WHO
• Dr José Antonio Ruiz Postigo, Medical Officer, Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, WHO
• Dr Cherian Varghese, Coordinator, Noncommunicable Diseases and Determinants, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia
• Jhilmil Bahl, Capacity Building Officer, Essential Programme on Immunization, WHO
• Dr Nedret Emiroglu, Director, Country Readiness Strengthening Department, WHO Emergencies Programme

You can watch the full webinar recording here.

As we observe International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on 19 June, OpenWHO invites you to join one of the 11 courses hosted on the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct learning channel.

In WHO, the term 'sexual misconduct' is an all-inclusive phrase used to address all forms of prohibited sexual behaviour by staff members or collaborators towards colleagues or members of the public in locations where WHO staff and/or collaborators operate. The term includes sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and all other related forms of sexual misconduct.

WHO's leadership, staff and Member States are deeply committed to accelerating our collective work in preventing and responding to sexual misconduct. However, we all know and acknowledge that more could and should be done, and done quickly.

The channel provides learning resources to strengthen competencies to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct. Learning and continuous education are essential to capacitate personnel and our implementing partners to meet the standards set by WHO's policies and Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, as well as the requirements and expectations set by the United Nations system, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and its partners.

• You can browse the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct course series here.
• Read more about International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict here.

This June we are celebrating the 7th anniversary of the OpenWHO platform, which WHO launched in 2017 anticipating the massive learning response that would be required in a pandemic.

To mark this milestone, the OpenWHO team is hosting a global webinar for a behind-the-scenes look at how just-in-time learning has been used to strengthen public health across the world.

Join us on Wednesday, 12 June, from 12:30 to 14:00 CEST, as we hear from WHO experts who developed popular OpenWHO courses about their approach to online learning and the impact of their work. The programme will explore course series on infection prevention and control, neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and COVID-19 vaccination, as well as learning tailored for the South-East Asia Region.

Register here for the webinar, which will be limited to the first 3000 people online.

Visit our anniversary page to explore our 7-year journey from a new platform to a global learning hub nearly 9 million enrolments strong.

YOU'RE INVITED TO A GLOBAL WEBINAR

OpenWHO.org at 7 years: WHO’s global offering of online learning on public health and emergencies topics

Wednesday, 12 June 2024 | 12:30-14:00 CEST

Register here

As we mark Russian Language Day on 6 June, OpenWHO invites you to join one of the 40 courses available in Russian on our learning platform.

We are proud to host online courses in the 6 official languages of the United Nations (UN) -- Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish -- which are recognized on dedicated UN language days to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. The language days also aim to promote equal use of the 6 official languages throughout the UN.

In total, OpenWHO hosts learning materials in 72 different languages, including the 20 most-spoken across the globe.

• You can browse all OpenWHO courses by language here.
• Learn more about Russian Language Day here.

On 31 May, mark World Tobacco Day by joining our courses on tobacco product regulation in English, French or Russian:

Tobacco product regulation: Basic handbook

This online course covers the basics of tobacco product regulation. Although tobacco use is a major public health problem, tobacco products are one of the few openly available consumer products that are virtually unregulated in many countries for contents, emissions and design features. In recent years, health authorities have become increasingly interested in the potential of tobacco product regulation to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with tobacco use. However, barriers to implementing appropriate regulation include limited understanding of common approaches or best practices, and a lack of adequate resources and/or technical capacity.

In this three part series, you will first review the basics of tobacco product regulation and international guidance (Sections 1-2), steps to assessing regulatory needs and capacity and regulatory considerations (Sections 3-4), and finally, implementation and potential challenges, novel, new and modified tobacco or related products, and testing and disclosure (Sections 5-7).

Tobacco product regulation: Building laboratory testing capacity

This course provides practical, stepwise approaches to implementing tobacco testing to improve tobacco product regulation. Such guidance is relevant to a wide range of countries in various settings, even those with inadequate resources to establish a testing facility.

In this six-section course, you will review testing in the context of a country's regulatory authority, three possible routes to a testing laboratory, contracting with an external laboratory, using an existing internal testing laboratory, developing a tobacco-exclusive testing laboratory, and WHO TobLabNet Membership (criteria, advantages and procedures).

You can learn more about World No Tobacco Day 2024 here.

You’re invited: 12 June webinar to celebrate 7 years of OpenWHO

This June we are celebrating the 7th anniversary of the OpenWHO platform, which WHO launched in 2017 anticipating the massive learning response that would be required in a pandemic.

To mark this milestone, the OpenWHO team is hosting a global webinar for a behind-the-scenes look at how just-in-time learning has been used to strengthen public health across the world.

Join us on Wednesday, 12 June, from 12:30 to 14:00 CEST, as we hear from WHO experts who developed popular OpenWHO courses about their approach to online learning and the impact of their work. The programme will explore course series on infection prevention and control, neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and COVID-19 vaccination, as well as learning tailored for the South-East Asia Region.

Register here for the webinar, which will be limited to the first 500 people online. You can learn more about OpenWHO’s 7th anniversary here.

We are also pleased to announce the following courses that were recently made available:

Joint External Evaluation: Introduction: This course aims to provide the learners, country teams, external experts and technical writers with an understanding of the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) process, its objectives, principles and methods. The course will also demonstrate how the JEE results can inform the strengthening of health security capacities and the development and implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).

Joint External Evaluation for Subject Matter Experts: This course aims to provide JEE subject matter experts (JEE SMEs) with an understanding of the JEE process, its objectives, principles and methods. The course provides an in-depth focus on the role of JEE SMEs in conducting an effective evaluation and writing technical area reports.

Joint External Evaluation for Technical Writers: This course aims to provide technical writers with an understanding of the JEE process, its objectives, principles and the importance of coming up with a JEE report that reflects the results of the evaluation.

The Role of Parliaments and Parliamentarians in Strengthening Health Security Preparedness: This course delineates the role of parliaments in fortifying health emergency preparedness and health security.

Preventing and responding to sexual misconduct by our implementing partners: Introductory course: This course explains the importance and the tools available to work with our implementing partners to assess and strengthen their capacity to respond to sexual misconduct.

WHO Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health, 2023: This course consists of video recordings from the 2023 Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health, which focuses on addressing the social determinants of health among refugees and migrants.

Management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents – programmatic considerations: The course focuses on interventions and programmatic implementation considerations along the cascade of tuberculosis (TB) care and prevention for children and adolescents.

Social protection for people affected by tuberculosis: an introduction: This course introduces the concept of social protection, its role in ending the TB epidemic, the different forms of social protection, and the evidence for the impact on TB.

Microplanning to guide implementation of preventive chemotherapy to control and eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): This course aims to help the NTD programme in the training of supervisors and all individuals who are responsible for oversight of preventive chemotherapy against NTD in planning at the lowest level.

How to develop and sustain healthy cities in 20 steps: This course, which is based on the 2022 guide, accumulates the knowledge and experiences of pioneering cities and experienced coordinators within the Healthy Cities Network.

We are pleased to announce that OpenWHO now has a total of 280 courses with learning resources spread across 72 languages. All courses can be accessed here. You can use the toolbar to filter courses by language and topic.

Avian and other zoonotic influenza introductory course: Content updated

The content of this course has been updated in light of the most recent WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) recommendations and guidelines on animal influenza, that might be relevant to a country experiencing outbreaks of influenza in animals or facing suspected cases of human infections with zoonotic influenza viruses.

The course is now offering a certificate of achievement to participants who score at least 80% in the graded assessment.

New country channel: Afghanistan

The Serving Countries portal offers learning resources to support a country's response to health threats.

In collaboration with the Afghanistan Country Office, resources based on WHO scientific guidance are now available on the Afghanistan country channel in the country’s official languages – Dari and Pashto – to empower frontline health workers, policy-makers and the public.

Browse our flipbook: WHO stories of health emergencies learning

OpenWHO is proud to share our new online flipbook which showcases WHO’s learning response to health emergencies over the last 3 years.

The flipbook features stories published in WHO operational updates from April 2021 to March 2024, focusing on the impact of the OpenWHO.org learning platform at the global, regional, country and local levels. It serves as a record of WHO's health emergencies learning response during and after the COVID-19 emergency.

Monthly newsletter

You can access the most recent newsletter here.

Best wishes,

OpenWHO team

In collaboration with the WHO Afghanistan Country Office, OpenWHO has launched an Afghanistan learning channel that hosts courses in the country's official languages, Dari and Pashto. The channel features new translations of courses on cholera outbreaks and dengue. You can browse the courses here.

This is the 17th country-specific channel to launch in OpenWHO's Serving Countries portal, which was established during the COVID-19 emergency to support country responses to health threats. Each channel hosts learning resources based on WHO scientific guidance in the country's official language(s) to empower frontline health workers, policy-makers and the public.

Parliaments and parliamentarians play a unique and powerful role in achieving health security preparedness through their various responsibilities: law-making, oversight, budgetary allocation, and citizen representation.

High-level reviews of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of state capacity, social trust, and leadership when it comes to health emergency preparedness. Parliaments and parliamentarians are extremely well positioned to support, build, and strengthen these three aspects.

OpenWHO has launched a new 1.5-hour course that delineates the role of parliaments in fortifying health emergency preparedness and health security.

The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) are legally binding for all countries, mandating the establishment and maintenance of core capacities for surveillance and response to public health risks and emergencies. These regulations aim to prevent, protect against, control, and respond to the international spread of disease in ways that align with public health risks, while minimizing interference with international traffic and trade.

As outlined in the 2021 WHA 73.8 Resolution on Strengthening Preparedness for Health Emergencies: Implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), WHO Member States have acknowledged the fundamental role of parliaments in enhancing capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to public health risks, as well as in promoting and adopting the IHR (2005). Furthermore, they have emphasized the importance of parliaments in facilitating all-inclusive multisectoral coordination for health emergency preparedness.

Effective response to health emergencies necessitates thorough multisectoral preparedness coordination. Parliaments and parliamentarians are pivotal in this regard. This course provides participants with an in-depth understanding of how parliamentarians can utilize their diverse roles and positions to advocate, lead, and prioritize improved emergency preparedness and health security.

Leveraging parliamentary functions such as law-making, oversight, accountability, and budgetary approval, alongside individual opportunities as representatives and community leaders, is essential to ensuring that emergency preparedness remains a priority and that the devastating impact of COVID-19 and other health emergencies is mitigated. Participants will receive practical suggestions, actionable recommendations, and additional resources for parliamentary engagement to bolster health emergency preparedness.

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.

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).

Access the course here.

OpenWHO is proud to share our new online flipbook which showcases WHO’s learning response to health emergencies over the last 3 years.

The flipbook features stories published in WHO operational updates from April 2021 to March 2024, focusing on the impact of the OpenWHO.org learning platform at the global, regional, country and local levels. It serves as a record of WHO's health emergencies learning response during and after the COVID-19 emergency.

"We hope the next pandemic is far away, but no matter what, we must be ready. In this context, this publication sheds light on the need to work together to share knowledge and enhance just-in-time learning to make a difference in the health crises of the future," Dr Michael J. Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) and Deputy Director-General, writes in the Foreword.

"The articles published in the operational updates of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme document the evolving and complex nature of health emergencies, the continuous learning and adaptation required by the workforce, and the collaborative efforts of technical teams across the organization to address these challenges. These updates provide an overview of the work done and the achievements made in the context of capacity building for health emergency preparedness and response," adds Heini Utunen, Head of the WHE Learning and Capacity Development Unit.

The OpenWHO team is especially grateful to the WHO technical experts who produced online courses, the Acute Event Management Unit and the operational update team for making the publication of these articles possible.

You can browse the updates by publication date here. Click the 3 dots in the bottom-right corner to view the flipbook in full screen.

The third course in the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) learning series is now available, providing specialized learning for technical writers. A JEE is a voluntary process in which a team of national and international experts jointly assess a country's capacity under the International Health Regulations (IHR).

The 1-hour course aims to provide technical writers with an understanding of the JEE process, its objectives, principles, and the importance of coming up with a JEE report that reflects the results of the evaluation. A Certificate of Achievement and digital badge will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available in the final assessment.

The other 2 courses in the JEE series were launched last month: an introductory course and a course for subject matter experts.

A JEE contributes to the monitoring and evaluation of core capacities under the IHR. It is a key component under the IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. A self-evaluation by the country is followed by an assessment by an independent JEE team. The assessment is done using a standardized tool that assesses 19 technical areas across 4 domains: prevent, detect, respond, and other hazards and points of entry.

The JEE final report is a complex and comprehensive document that requires a high level of technical writing skills, as well as coordination and collaboration among the JEE team members and the report writer. The report writer plays a key role in the JEE process and is responsible for compiling, synthesising and editing the content of the report, as well as drafting the executive summary and supporting the debriefing presentation. The report writer should have a clear understanding of the JEE methodology, the draft terms of reference for the report writer's role, and the expectations and timelines for the report writing process.

Read more about the JEE course series here.

Because it helps stop the spread of harmful germs in health care.

Observe World Hand Hygiene Day on 5 May by enrolling in our Standard precautions: Hand hygiene course, which is available in 18 diverse languages. The 1-hour course summarizes the WHO guidelines on hand hygiene, associated tools and ideas for effective implementation, with the opportunity to earn a certificate and digital badge.

The hands of health care workers play a critical role in keeping patients safe. If health workers do not clean their hands at the right moments, using the proper methods, they can transmit infection-causing microorganisms through their hands from one patient to another. Performing hand hygiene at key moments is an important health care intervention.

Share the free course with your networks to help spread the word!

You can learn more about World Hand Hygiene Day 2024 here.

On 25 April, celebrate World Malaria Day by enrolling in our self-paced course on malaria elimination in Arabic, English, French or Spanish.

All malaria programmes at national or subnational level need to be oriented to the activities and dynamic strategies required to achieve interruption of transmission, prevent re-establishment and achieve WHO certification. The curriculum covers all relevant technical areas, including but not limited to malaria parasite biology, immunology and epidemiology; surveillance and response; case management; vector control and entomological surveillance; acceleration strategies; stratification to tailor interventions; and management and planning of an elimination programme.

The course aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate a programme for malaria elimination and prevention of re-establishment of transmission. The training curriculum is designed for health professionals responsible for planning, managing, implementing or evaluating malaria programmes or malaria elimination programmes.

A Confirmation of Participation is available to participants who complete 100% of the course material. Join the course today.

This year's theme of World Immunization Week, observed from 24 to 30 April, is Humanly Possible: Saving lives through immunization. It will celebrate 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization – recognizing our collective efforts to save and improve countless lives from vaccine-preventable diseases and calling on countries to ramp up investments in immunization programmes to protect the next generations. 

OpenWHO is proud to offer a variety of courses related to immunization, which you can browse here. The most recent addition focuses on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination module of the WHO Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Costing tool, which was developed to assist low- and middle-income countries in planning and costing cervical cancer control strategies.

You can learn more about World Immunization Week here.

Learning is easier in your own language, which is why OpenWHO is proud to provide online public health courses in 72 languages and counting.

That includes courses in the 6 official languages of the United Nations (UN) -- Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish -- which are recognized on dedicated UN language days to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. The language days also aim to promote equal use of the 6 official languages throughout the UN.

Three of the UN languages are celebrated in April: Chinese, English and French.

• Chinese Language Day is 20 April. You can access OpenWHO courses in Chinese here and learn more about Chinese Language Day here.

• English Language Day is 23 April. You can access OpenWHO courses in English here and learn more about English Language Day here.

• Spanish Language Day is 23 April. You can access OpenWHO courses in Spanish here and learn more about Spanish Language Day here.

OpenWHO is pleased to offer 2 new courses addressing Joint External Evaluation (JEE): an introductory course and a course for subject matter experts. A JEE is a voluntary process in which a team of national and international experts jointly assess country capacity under the International Health Regulations (IHR).

A JEE contributes to the monitoring and evaluation of core capacities under the IHR and is a key component under the IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. A self-evaluation by the country is followed by an assessment by an independent JEE team. The assessment is done using a standardized tool that assesses 19 technical areas across 4 domains: prevent, detect, respond, and other hazards and points of entry.

The JEE training programme comprises various courses designed to equip JEE stakeholders with essential information. The country team plays a pivotal role in coordinating the JEE process and assessing the nation's preparedness capacities. Working alongside the country, the external evaluation team, consisting of JEE team leadership, technical area leads and technical writers, collaborates closely to identify priority actions. These actions aim to streamline the formulation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), ensuring comprehensive development and implementation strategies.

• The 2-hour introductory course aims to provide the learners, country teams, external experts and technical writers with an understanding of the JEE process, its objectives, principles and methods. The course will also demonstrate how the JEE results can inform the strengthening of health security capacities and the development and implementation of the NAPHS.

• The second course, for which the introductory training is a prerequisite, aims to provide JEE subject matter experts (JEE SMEs) with an understanding of the JEE process, its objectives, principles and methods. This 1-hour course provides an in-depth focus on the role of JEE SMEs in conducting an effective evaluation and writing technical area reports.

• A third JEE course for technical writers will be released soon.

A Certificate of Achievement will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available in the final assessments of the courses.

Sign up today and be part of the critical mission to strengthen health systems worldwide.

Everyone, everywhere has the right to access quality health information.

On OpenWHO.org, you can join free online courses on more than 260 public health topics across 25 learning channels. Courses are available in 72 different languages.

As we celebrate World Health Day on 7 April, exercise your right to health knowledge on OpenWHO!

Learn more about World Health Day and this year's theme 'My health, my right' here.

New course on Health Emergency Readiness for Response Operations

Developed by WHO professionals in the field, this comprehensive course equips government officials and technical experts with the knowledge needed to effectively manage health emergencies. The course provides essential insights and practical tools to enhance your readiness and response capabilities.

Unlock your potential in crisis response and enrol in the Health Emergency Readiness for Response Operations course!

Groundbreaking course on Sex and Gender in Infectious Disease Programmes

This course aims to enhance public health professionals' understanding of infectious disease programmes, health emergency response and health inequalities. It will strengthen competence in dealing with gender perspectives in public health programmes, particularly in health emergency settings. The course also aims to contribute to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PRSEAH). You will learn how sex and gender interact with infectious disease outbreaks and how to apply the gender analysis matrix and other tools.

Enrol today and earn your certificate if you score at least 75% of the total points on the course assessment.

We are also pleased to announce the following courses that were recently made available:

Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse for Public Health Practitioners in Ukraine: This course teaches the basics on preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PRSEAH) including the 6 core principles, accountability frameworks and how to support a survivor/victim in the Ukraine emergency operation. The course is available in English and Ukrainian.

Mainstreaming of Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion in WASH in Health-Care Facilities: This 2-hour course aligns with the updated WHO guidance for improving quality of care through water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health care facilities and the 8 practical steps to facilitate universal access to quality care.

Oral Health Care of Pregnant Women and Newborns: This online course is intended to build the capacity of primary care teams providing antenatal and postnatal care to improve the oral health of pregnant mothers and their newborns.

Use of Fluoride Varnish to Prevent Dental Caries: This online course is designed to enhance the knowledge of the oral and dental care providers of various types of fluorides and their uses, and to build their skills on a simple application technique of a fluoride varnish to prevent dental caries.

Monitoring and Evaluation of National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance: The aim of this course is to provide guidance for countries on the monitoring and evaluation of national action plans on antimicrobial resistance (AMR NAPs).

Global Benchmarking Tool for Assessors: This course is meant to enhance the quality of benchmarking outputs by providing the basis of harmonizing approaches among assessors using the Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) to benchmark regulatory authorities.

Sporotrichosis: Training for National and District-level Health Workers: This course is intended to provide basic information for front-line health workers to recognize and treat sporotrichosis. The course will also present notes from the field to demonstrate how this fungal disease is managed in different parts of the world.

Learning to Deliver Training in IPC and Environmental Cleaning for Health Care Facilities in Low-and Middle-income Countries: This course aims to train cleaning staff in healthcare facilities by guiding individuals who will serve as 'trainers of trainers', focusing on implementing the WHO training package on environmental cleaning and infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities in low-and-middle-income countries.

We are pleased to announce that OpenWHO now has a total of 264 courses with learning resources spread across 72 languages. All courses can be accessed here. You can use the toolbar to filter courses by language and topic.

Visit our End TB learning channel for World Tuberculosis Day

As we marked World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on 24 March, we invite you to celebrate the 2024 theme ‘Yes! We can end TB!’ by participating in critical training on OpenWHO's End TB learning channel. The channel brings together courses designed to build strategic and operational knowledge, currently hosting nine different topics. It provides critical training on essential skills to facilitate the implementation of WHO’s End TB Strategy based on sound ethics principles and due protection of human rights.

Visit the End TB channel today.

Monthly newsletter

You can access the most recent newsletter here.

Best wishes,

OpenWHO team

On 22 March, observe World Water Day by enrolling in two free online courses developed by the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia:

Water safety planning for urban water supply systems: an introduction

Water safety planning is a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in a drinking-water supply chain, from catchment to consumer. Water safety planning is recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure drinking-water safety and can help water suppliers achieve drinking-water quality targets.

This 2-hour course outlines the principles and steps of the water safety planning approach and presents the success factors that underpin effective and sustainable implementation. It also highlights how water safety planning can strengthen resilience to climate threats.

A certificate and digital badge are available.

Mainstreaming of gender equality, disability and social inclusion in WASH in health-care facilities

Health is a human right. Inaccessible and low-quality water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services hinder the realization of this right for millions across the globe. This is especially true for women and girls, persons with disability, ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups. WASH barriers have a significant impact on quality of care in health-care facilities.

This 2-hour course aligns with the updated Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT) and 8 practical steps to facilitate universal access to quality care.

A certificate and digital badge are available.

Learn more about World Water Day here.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s top infectious killers. Urgent and intensified action is required by countries, partners and civil society to ramp up the TB response to save the lives of millions affected by TB each year.

As we mark World TB Day on 24 March, we invite you to celebrate the 2024 theme ‘Yes! We can end TB!’ by participating in critical training on OpenWHO's End TB learning channel. The channel brings together courses designed to build strategic and operational knowledge, currently hosting nine different topics. It provides critical training on essential skills to facilitate the implementation of WHO’s End TB Strategy based on sound ethics principles and due protection of human rights.

Through this interactive platform, you will learn about the latest WHO TB guidelines on TB diagnosis, prevention, treatment and care, and what practical steps can be taken to ensure equitable access to quality and timely care for those most in need. As new WHO guidelines and operational guidance become available, new resources will be added and existing courses updated to enhance learning.

Visit the End TB channel today.

In collaboration with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, funded by the Borrow Foundation and Hilfsaktion Noma e.V, the WHO Regional Office for Africa launched an Oral Health Training Course for Community Health Workers in Africa on OpenWHO in July 2023. This course consists of five modules for community health workers on oral health promotion, oral disease prevention and control to meet some of the unmet demand for oral health services in Africa. As community health workers, these modules can be utilized for self-learning, but it is recommended to use the course with a designated trainer. As of 16 March 2024, more than 5800 people had enrolled in the course.

In collaboration with the University of Nairobi, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, the WHO Regional Office for Africa and WHO Kenya, financially supported by Hilfsaktion Noma e.V., the Ministry of Health in Kenya (MoH Kenya) is piloting this course. This includes training 750 community health workers, 59 community health assistants (supervisors of community health workers) and 35 designated trainers (community oral health workers) from four counties in Kenya, namely Kiambu, Nairobi, Kakamega and Tharaka - Nithi, and identifying the facilitators and barriers to implementing the course.

For this implementation, MoH Kenya has started enhancing collaboration with Safaricom (a local telecommunications company) to exempt the internet cost for community health workers to have access to this course, and the Kenya Dental Association, which would conduct the joint training in Kiambu county, through financial support by the World Dental Federation (FDI). Additionally, MoH Kenya intends to integrate the oral health module into the national community health workers’ curriculum. All activities are linked with implementing the Kenyan oral health strategic plan in line with the WHO global and regional strategies on oral health.

On 20 March 2024, commemorating World Oral Health Day, MoH Kenya organized the graduation ceremony for 400 community health workers from Kiambu county who had completed the course, including the summative assessment by the designated trainers.

Fêtez la Journée de la langue française le 20 mars en explorant nos 93 cours en français sur OpenWHO ! Une occasion parfaite pour approfondir vos compétences dans le domaine de la santé publique tout en célébrant la richesse de la langue française. Accédez aux cours en français ici.

Celebrate French Language Day on March 20 by exploring our 93 French courses on OpenWHO! A perfect opportunity to deepen your public health skills while celebrating the richness of the French language. Access courses in French here.

As we mark World Oral Health Day on 20 March, we are proud to host 5 free online courses to strengthen oral health developed by WHO regions, including 2 new courses developed by the South-East Asian Region. Join the 2 new courses and the thousands of learners who have already enrolled in courses developed by the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions:

NEW: Oral health care of pregnant women and newborns

Educating the health care professionals who work closely with women during pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy and post-pregnancy can play a crucial role in promoting oral dental care of pregnant women and their newborns.

This online course is intended to build the capacity of primary care teams providing antenatal and postnatal care to improve oral health of pregnant mothers and their newborns.

A certificate and digital badge will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available in the final assessment.

NEW: Use of fluoride varnish to prevent dental caries

Fluoride varnish is one of the most widely used forms of professionally applied fluorides. It’s easy to use, effective and widely recommended for use in children and even in infants to prevent caries development. It also helps in the remineralization of early carious lesions.

This online course is designed to enhance the knowledge of the oral and dental care providers of various types of fluorides and their uses, and to build their skills on a simple application technique of a fluoride varnish to prevent dental caries.

A certificate and digital badge will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available in the final assessment.

Noma: Training of health workers at national and district levels on skin-Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Noma is a serious gangrenous disease of the mouth and face, mainly affecting children aged 2 to 6 years in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite substantial knowledge gaps, it is reported to be linked with malnutrition, poor oral hygiene, immunosuppression and living in extreme poverty situations.

The aim of the course is to provide information about noma, and to increase the knowledge and skills of national and front-line health workers to help them prevent, identify and treat this disease. It addresses epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and public health considerations, including the human rights perspective of noma.

A certificate and digital badge will be available to participants who score at least 80% in the final assessment.

Oral health training course for community health workers in Africa

This introductory course aims to build the capacity of community health workers on oral health promotion, oral disease prevention and control, to meet some of the unmet demand for oral health services and strengthen the oral health system through a cross-cutting approach in the context of Universal Health Coverage.

This course consists of a competency-based training module for community health workers in line with “Promoting Oral Health in Africa” and “Mobile technologies for oral health: an implementation guide”, and teaching support materials for the designated trainers who will introduce the competency-based modules to community health workers.

A certificate and digital badge will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available in all graded assessments.

"We equally commend the work of the over 4,400 health professionals and community actors in 11 noma priority countries that leveraged the WHO noma online course to enhance their capacities for the promotion of oral health, detection, and control of early stages of noma and referring same in 2023," said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, in a 2024 World Oral Health Day message. "We applaud the resilience of the over 5,800 healthcare and non-healthcare workers, as of 29 February 2024, who embraced the online course on oral health for community health workers."

Promoting oral health in primary health care settings

Oral health is essential to general health and well-being at every stage of life. But it ‎has been a neglected component of the public health agenda in several countries, ‎including those in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), increasing the ‎disease burden.

This course aims to ‎improve the oral health prevention and control skills of primary-level healthcare and ‎other professionals; enable the community to exercise more control over the ‎factors that affect their oral health status; and provide the community an opportunity ‎to actively participate in making decisions to improve their oral health and ‎well-being. The learning package consists of 7 modules divided into 2 parts (basic and advanced), and includes video lectures and downloadable presentations.

A Confirmation of Participation is available to participants who complete 100% of the course material.

WHO Community of Planners

PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE FINANCING for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, Readiness and Resilience: a 7-part webinar series for the Pandemic Fund Second Call for Proposals.

Begins March 19

Registration ongoing until 18 April

This webinar series is open to WHO Member States.

Webinar schedule:

• 19 MARCH: Introduction to sustainable financing
• 21 MARCH: Capacity, risk and vulnerability assessment
• 26 MARCH: Developing prioritized and costed plans
• 9-12 APRIL: Pandemic Fund technical support week: Labs & surveillance, Health workforce, Cross-cutting, Implementing entities
• 16 APRIL: Resource mapping and mobilization
• 17 APRIL: Monitoring and review
• 23 APRIL: Finalizing the Pandemic Fund proposal

Webinars will be held at 12-13:30 CET.

To register, please click on each of the webinar titles above.

Share your questions for the speakers ahead of the series here.

For all other questions, please contact whespp@who.int.

Access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental right. Inaccessible and low-quality WASH services hinder the realization of this right for millions across the globe. This is especially true for women and girls, persons with disability, ethnic minorities, and other marginalized groups. Ensuring that WASH programs are inclusive and equitable is more important than ever.

The new OpenWHO course on Mainstreaming of Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion in WASH in Health-Care Facilities dives deep into the critical intersection of gender equality, disability rights, and social inclusion within the context of WASH in health-care settings.

This self-paced course targets WASH sector actors, health facility managers and health professionals, community leaders and organizations that represent excluded and marginalized groups.

A Certificate of Achievement will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points in the final assessment.

Enroll now and be a part of this transformative journey!

Join us on a revolutionary learning journey: OpenWHO is proud to unveil our new course on Taking Sex and Gender into Account in Infectious Disease Programmes.

This course aims to enhance public health professionals' understanding of infectious disease programmes, health emergency response and health inequalities. It will strengthen competence in dealing with gender perspectives in public health programmes, particularly in health emergency settings.

The course also aims to contribute to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PRSEAH). You will learn how sex and gender interact with infectious disease outbreaks and how to apply the gender analysis matrix and other tools.

If you score at least 75% of the total points on the course assessments, you will receive a Certificate of Achievement. Case studies and exercises are included so you can apply course concepts to real-world scenarios. Enrol today!

Unlock your potential in crisis response with our new course on Health Emergency Readiness for Response Operations!

Developed by WHO professionals in the field, this comprehensive course equips government officials and technical experts with the knowledge needed to effectively manage health emergencies. The course provides essential insights and practical tools to enhance your readiness and response capabilities.

In less than 2 weeks, this course has amassed 1730 participants, and awarded 569 certificates so far. There are hundred and more learners joining every day. It’s now your turn to take the first step towards becoming a proficient leader in emergency operations by enrolling now at https://openwho.org/courses/health-emergency-readiness-ops

On this International Mother Language Day, we recognize the profound importance of language diversity and comprehension. That's why we're committed to promoting linguistic inclusion by offering courses in 72 languages. By providing accessible learning opportunities, we strive to ensure learning about public health and health emergencies is accessible, including in languages.

Explore our courses on OpenWHO here.

On 17 January, WHO launched an online course focused on preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PRSEAH). The course, available in Ukrainian and English, is designed to educate public health workers in Ukraine on PRSEAH fundamentals.

To date, over 800 learners have enrolled in the English version of the course, of whom almost 50% are aged 20–29 years, with the second-highest enrolment (24%) observed among learners aged 30–39 years. Thirty-two per cent of the enrollees consider themselves to be students, followed by health professionals at 22%. The Ukrainian version, facilitated by the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, has drawn almost 100 learners, of whom 33% reside in Ukraine.

Designed to be completed in about one hour, the course is open to all and particularly supports public health professionals in Ukraine by highlighting the global issue of sexual exploitation and abuse. Participants who score at least 80% on the final assessment will receive a Certificate of Achievement and an Open Badge. This effort underscores WHO's dedication to PRSEAH education and support for survivors, aiming to ensure accountability and cooperation within the United Nations and among its partners in Ukraine.

To access the English-language course, please visit https://openwho.org/courses/prseah-Ukraine. To access the Ukrainian-language course, please visit https://openwho.org/courses/prseah-Ukraine-uk

The World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day marks a pivotal moment in global health, with over a billion individuals affected by NTDs. This day serves as a powerful catalyst, rallying communities, policymakers, and health professionals to address and eradicate these diseases. WHO NTD experts have produced soon 30 courses on OpenWHO to enhance understanding, foster prevention strategies, and cultivate the skills needed to combat NTDs. Learn more about NTDs here.

Today, on World Leprosy Day, we celebrate the remarkable progress in treating and curing leprosy, the power of medical advancements and global cooperation. OpenWHO's course addresses the epidemiology of leprosy, how to suspect and refer, topics of diagnosis and treatment, lepra reactions, prevention of disabilities and public health interventions. Learn more on leprosy here.

On this International Day of Education, we recognize the profound role that learning and education play in safeguarding our world from public health emergencies. Education acts as a cornerstone in building resilient societies equipped to face health crises with knowledge, preparedness, and unity. It is through informed learning that individuals across the globe can understand and implement best practices in health, ensuring a collective response to emergencies that is both effective and inclusive. By prioritizing access to quality education for all, we are not just enriching minds; we are actively contributing to a robust global defense against public health threats, ensuring a safer and healthier future for everyone.

Access WHO's guidance-based knowledge here.

On 27 December, we celebrate the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.

The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the need to equip the world and ensure that we are all ready to take on the health challenges to come. We must heed the lessons learnt from the recent pandemic and invest in epidemic preparedness, prevention and response to save the world from the scourge of epidemics.

Access the OpenWHO courses on pandemic and epidemic-prone diseases to improve response capabilities here.