Introduction: A Global Summit for a Healthier Tomorrow
In an era defined by complex and interconnected health challenges, from the lingering shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic to the escalating climate crisis and the persistent burden of non-communicable diseases, the need for unified global action has never been more acute. Against this backdrop, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened its landmark Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres, a pivotal gathering designed to harness the collective intelligence, resources, and dedication of its most vital partners. This event was far more than a routine conference; it represented a strategic mobilization of a global network of excellence, aimed at charting a collaborative course towards a healthier, safer, and more equitable future for all.
The forum brought together leaders and experts from over 800 designated institutions across more than 80 countries. These Collaborating Centres (CCs)—prestigious universities, research institutes, and government agencies—form the technical backbone of the WHO, providing critical scientific evidence, expertise, and operational support that underpins global health policy and practice. By assembling this vast network, the WHO sought to strengthen synergies, align priorities, and foster innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health issues. The central theme resonating throughout the forum was clear: in the face of shared threats, isolated efforts are insufficient. Only through deep, sustained, and strategic collaboration can the global community hope to build resilient health systems and achieve the ambitious goals of universal health coverage and global health security.
The Backbone of Global Health: Understanding WHO Collaborating Centres
To fully grasp the significance of the Global Forum, it is essential to understand the unique and indispensable role of the WHO Collaborating Centres. They are the unsung heroes of global public health, operating as an extended arm of the WHO, translating high-level strategy into tangible progress on the ground.
What Exactly is a WHO Collaborating Centre?
A WHO Collaborating Centre is an institution designated by the WHO Director-General to form part of an international collaborative network. These centres are not part of the WHO’s formal structure; rather, they are external partners that lend their expertise and institutional capacity to support the organization’s mandated work. This partnership is a symbiotic one: the WHO gains access to top-tier scientific and technical knowledge without the overhead of maintaining such a vast internal infrastructure, while the designated institutions gain international recognition, enhanced opportunities for collaboration, and a platform to influence global health policy.
These centres are tasked with carrying out specific activities in support of WHO’s programmes. Their work is meticulously planned and aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives, covering a vast spectrum of public health domains. This can range from conducting cutting-edge research on emerging pathogens and developing new diagnostic tools to creating training materials for healthcare workers and advising on the development of international health regulations. In essence, they provide the evidence base that allows the WHO to set global norms and standards, a function critical to its role as the world’s leading public health authority.
A Global Network of Unparalleled Expertise
The sheer scale and diversity of the WHO Collaborating Centre network are staggering. With over 800 centres spanning every WHO region, the network represents a formidable global brain trust. This diversity is its greatest strength. A CC at a university in Thailand might be a world leader in dengue fever research, while a public health agency in Canada could be the designated centre for health promotion. Another institution in South Africa might specialize in nursing and midwifery capacity building, while a research centre in Germany could lead the way in occupational health standards.
This distributed model allows the WHO to tap into context-specific knowledge and expertise. A health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa may require different solutions than one in Southeast Asia, and the CC network provides access to local and regional experts who understand the nuances of their environments. This global footprint ensures that WHO’s work is not only scientifically rigorous but also culturally and contextually relevant, making its guidance more practical and effective for its Member States.
The Mandate and Designation Process
Becoming a WHO Collaborating Centre is a mark of high distinction and involves a rigorous designation process. An institution must demonstrate a sustained record of excellence in a field relevant to WHO’s work. The process begins with a joint plan of action, or “terms of reference,” meticulously developed between the institution and the relevant WHO technical unit. This plan outlines the specific activities, deliverables, and timelines for a four-year period.
Once designated, the centre commits its own resources—personnel, facilities, and often funding—to fulfilling this mandate. The work is guided by principles of scientific integrity, objectivity, and alignment with WHO’s constitutional mandate to ensure the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. This commitment transforms the network from a loose collection of experts into a coordinated, mission-driven force for global good.
Convening the Collective: Inside the Global Forum
The Global Forum served as a critical platform to energize and strategically realign this powerful network. It provided a rare opportunity for these diverse institutions to connect not just with the WHO, but with each other, fostering cross-disciplinary and cross-regional collaborations that can spark innovation and amplify impact.
A Post-Pandemic Imperative for Unity
The forum was held in the long shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that laid bare both the vulnerabilities and the potential of the global health architecture. The pandemic underscored the absolute necessity of rapid information sharing, coordinated research, and robust surveillance systems. WHO Collaborating Centres were on the front lines of this response, contributing to everything from viral sequencing and vaccine effectiveness studies to developing guidelines for clinical care and mental health support.
A key objective of the forum was to institutionalize the lessons learned from this unprecedented global health emergency. Discussions centered on strengthening the network’s role in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR). This includes enhancing global surveillance networks for emerging pathogens, standardizing data-sharing protocols to ensure swift and transparent communication, and building resilient health systems that can withstand future shocks. The message was unequivocal: the world cannot afford to be caught unprepared again, and the CC network is a cornerstone of a more secure future.
Key Themes and Strategic Priorities on the Agenda
While pandemic preparedness was a central theme, the forum’s agenda was broad, reflecting the multifaceted nature of global health. The discussions were structured around WHO’s “Triple Billion” targets and the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on several key strategic priorities:
- Universal Health Coverage (UHC): Experts explored how CCs can support countries in strengthening primary healthcare, developing sustainable financing models, and ensuring equitable access to essential health services without financial hardship.
- Health Emergencies and PPR: Beyond pandemics, this included building resilience to climate-related health threats like heatwaves and extreme weather events, as well as responding to humanitarian crises.
- Healthier Populations: The forum addressed the “silent pandemic” of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Collaborating Centres shared best practices in prevention, health promotion, and tackling risk factors such as tobacco use and unhealthy diets.
- Data, Science, and Digital Health: A significant focus was placed on leveraging the power of data and digital technologies. This included discussions on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in diagnostics, the role of telemedicine in expanding access to care, and the importance of robust health information systems.
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Recognized as a grave threat to global health security, AMR was a key topic, with a focus on a “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health surveillance and stewardship.
Voices of Leadership: A Unified Vision for Health
Throughout the forum, WHO leadership, including Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, consistently emphasized the theme of partnership. In statements and keynote addresses, the vision articulated was one of a more integrated and proactive network. The goal is to move beyond a model where centres primarily work in a bilateral relationship with the WHO, towards a dynamic ecosystem where centres collaborate directly with one another, forming “networks of networks.”
This vision calls for breaking down silos between different technical areas. For example, a centre specializing in climate change and health could partner with one focused on maternal and child health to address the specific risks that rising temperatures pose to pregnant women and newborns. By fostering these connections, the forum aimed to unlock the network’s full potential for innovative, multi-sectoral problem-solving.
From Theory to Action: The Tangible Impact of Collaboration
The value of the WHO Collaborating Centre network is not theoretical; it is demonstrated every day through concrete contributions that protect and improve lives around the world. The forum was a celebration of this impact and a catalyst for its expansion.
Driving Research, Data, and Innovation
Collaborating Centres are engines of scientific discovery. They conduct the foundational research that informs WHO’s evidence-based recommendations. When a new virus emerges, it is often a CC that first sequences its genome. When questions arise about the safety of a new food additive, a CC for food safety provides the toxicological data. They are instrumental in running multi-country clinical trials, analyzing global health trends, and developing innovative technologies, from low-cost diagnostics for rural clinics to sophisticated epidemiological models that predict disease outbreaks.
Forging Global Norms and Technical Standards
One of WHO’s core functions is to establish global norms and standards, creating a common language and framework for health worldwide. Collaborating Centres are indispensable to this process. For example, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the global standard for health data and clinical documentation, is continuously updated with the help of a network of CCs. Similarly, CCs for nursing help define global standards for nursing education and practice, ensuring a benchmark of quality for this critical workforce. They provide the technical consensus-building that makes global health governance possible.
Building Capacity and Empowering Nations
Beyond research and standard-setting, CCs play a vital role in strengthening health systems at the national and local levels. They develop training curricula, host workshops, and provide technical assistance to ministries of health and healthcare workers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. A CC in Australia might develop an online course on infection prevention and control that is used by nurses across the Pacific islands. A centre in the United States might help a country in Africa establish its own national public health institute. This capacity-building function is crucial for creating self-sufficient and resilient health systems worldwide.
Spotlight on a Silent Pandemic: The Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance
The collaborative power of the network is perfectly illustrated in the global fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). This complex threat requires a coordinated, “One Health” approach. The WHO orchestrates this through a network of CCs, each playing a specialized role:
- A Surveillance Centre might develop and deploy tools for tracking resistant bacteria in hospitals and communities, feeding data into WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS).
- An Animal Health Centre would monitor antibiotic use in livestock and aquaculture, identifying key drivers of resistance in the food chain.
- A Diagnostics Centre could work on developing rapid tests that allow doctors to prescribe the right antibiotic for the right infection, reducing the misuse and overuse that fuels resistance.
- A Stewardship and Policy Centre would help countries develop national action plans for AMR, promoting responsible antibiotic use in human and animal medicine.
No single institution could tackle this alone. The Global Forum provided an opportunity for these specialized centres to coordinate their strategies, ensuring their collective efforts are far greater than the sum of their parts.
Navigating the Future: Challenges and Opportunities for the Network
While the forum painted an optimistic vision for the future, it also acknowledged the significant challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the network.
The Challenge of Funding and Sustainability
A persistent challenge for the network is its financial sustainability. Collaborating Centres perform their WHO-mandated work largely with their own resources. While this model is incredibly cost-effective for the WHO, it can place a strain on the institutions, especially in an environment of tightening research and education budgets. The forum likely included discussions on innovative financing mechanisms, ways to better showcase the return on investment from the centres’ work, and strategies to attract more sustainable funding from governments and philanthropic foundations to support this vital global public good.
Ensuring Equity and Geographic Representation
Historically, the network has had a higher concentration of centres in high-income countries. While this reflects the historical distribution of research institutions, a key priority for the WHO is to enhance the network’s geographic diversity and ensure that expertise from the Global South is fully represented and leveraged. This involves actively identifying and supporting potential centres in low- and middle-income countries. A more equitable network is not only a matter of fairness but is essential for addressing health challenges with locally relevant solutions and fostering South-South collaboration.
Harnessing the Digital Transformation
The digital revolution presents immense opportunities. Artificial intelligence can revolutionize disease surveillance and diagnostics. Telehealth can bridge vast distances to deliver expert care. Online learning platforms can scale up capacity building at an unprecedented rate. The forum served as a platform to strategize on how the network can collectively harness these tools. However, this also brings challenges, including bridging the digital divide to ensure equitable access, establishing robust data governance and privacy standards, and ensuring that digital solutions are evidence-based and people-centered.
From Hub-and-Spoke to a True Global Web
Perhaps the most significant opportunity lies in evolving the network’s operating model. The traditional “hub-and-spoke” model, with WHO at the center, is being complemented by a more decentralized and interconnected “web” of collaboration. The Global Forum was a key enabler of this shift, providing the physical and virtual space for a centre in Brazil working on Chagas disease to connect with another in Spain specializing in cardiac complications, or for a nutrition centre in India to partner with a mental health centre in the UK. Fostering these direct connections will make the network more agile, resilient, and innovative.
Conclusion: A Renewed Commitment to Collaborative Global Health
The Global Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres was more than a meeting; it was a powerful reaffirmation of a shared global mission. It underscored that the world’s most formidable health challenges—from climate change to pandemics—transcend borders and demand a response built on solidarity and collective action. The forum provided a clear mandate to the network: to innovate more boldly, collaborate more deeply, and act more swiftly.
As the experts and leaders return to their home institutions, they carry with them a renewed sense of purpose and a strengthened set of connections. The true success of the forum will be measured in the months and years to come—in the new research collaborations forged, the improved guidelines developed, the health workers trained, and ultimately, the lives saved. By strategically aligning this unparalleled global network of expertise, the World Health Organization and its Collaborating Centres have taken a decisive step forward, together, in the enduring quest for a healthier, safer, and fairer world for all.
