Event highlight
Following the successful launch of the European Regional Forum of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Network (EOC-NET European Regional Forum) in December 2024, WHO/Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) jointly convened the Annual Meeting of the Forum on 17–19 November 2025 at the WHO Academy in Lyon, France.
The meeting brought together national public health emergency operations centre (PHEOC) focal points from across the WHO European Region (with 51 countries to date having nominated a focal point for the network) to advance coordination, learning and strategic planning for emergency preparedness and response. PHEOCs are at the heart of effective health emergency management, ensuring that countries can detect, respond to and recover from emergencies in a coordinated and timely manner. For emergencies such as infectious disease outbreaks, war and conflict, antimicrobial resistance, climate-related threats as well as misinformation and disinformation, health systems’ ability to activate, operate and sustain PHEOCs becomes even more critical for national health security.
The 3-day meeting focused on the governance, priorities and strategic actions of the EOC-Net European Regional Forum through 2030. Oleg Storozhenko, WHO/Europe’s Emergency Operations Team Lead, emphasized the significance of this collective effort: “this first meeting marks an important milestone in operationalizing national health emergency operations centres (EOCs) as the main coordination tool for all types of health emergencies. The recommendations gathered from participants will directly inform the development of the global EOC-NET 2030 Strategy.”
A short simulation exercise (SimEx), jointly designed by WHO/Europe, ECDC and the WHO Academy, also enabled participants to practice activating and operating a PHEOC during a fast-moving emergency scenario. Participants were confronted with a rapidly evolving emergency following a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, subsequent infrastructure disruption and a growing public health threat characterized by rising acute watery diarrhoea cases. The SimEx teams practiced activating and running a PHEOC under pressure, integrating an incident management system, enhancing information management and producing key decision-making products.
Mariam Pashalishvili from the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health in Georgia noted: “strong networks improve decisions, and better decisions protect people. The EOC-NET European Regional Forum helps us to listen, learn and coordinate across countries. Through this network, Georgia gains practical experience, technical guidance and stronger partnerships for faster decision-making and better protection during emergencies.”
“Strengthening EOCs is essential for effective public health crisis management. By continuing to invest in this community of practice, we can significantly enhance preparedness and ensure that our EOCs are equipped to respond rapidly and collaboratively to any future health emergency,” explained Hakim Khenniche, ECDC’s EOC Operational Manager.
The 2025 Annual Meeting is funded by the European Commission under the EU4Health programme, reflecting strong commitment to improving preparedness and emergency coordination across the Region. Increased emergency coordination and cooperation better protect people across borders.
Event notice
Following the successful launch of the EOC-NET European Regional Forum in Istanbul, Türkiye, in December 2024, WHO/Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are convening the Annual Meeting of the Forum, hosted by the WHO Academy in Lyon, France.
About the Annual Meeting
Public health emergency operations centres are critical for effective emergency response and strong national health security. To support countries in meeting International Health Regulations (2005) requirements and strengthening coordination during crises, WHO established the global EOC-NET in 2012.
Furthering this global initiative, WHO/Europe and ECDC launched the EOC-NET European Regional Forum in 2024 to enhance collaboration among Member States and partners. This year’s Annual Meeting will build on that foundation and the momentum of the launch in Istanbul, focusing on governance, strategic priorities and actions for the development of the European Regional Forum through 2030. It will advance an all-hazards approach aligned with WHO’s Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience architecture and the Global Health Emergency Corps framework.
Why this meeting matters
Countries across the WHO European Region are navigating increasingly complex and frequent health emergencies, from cross-border outbreaks to large-scale crises. Effective coordination is critical.
The EOC-NET platform provides a trusted space for collaboration, promoting best practices and standardizing systems across the Region to enhance interoperability and strengthen coordination. The Annual Meeting will lay the groundwork for a resilient regional network, harmonizing efforts across Member States and aligning with global initiatives.
The 2025 Annual Meeting is funded by the European Commission under the EU4Health programme. It will be held in English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.