Global partners
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Norway has been in the forefront of the global health arena, and the Global Health Preparedness Programme (GHPP) has served as an implementation tool for global health security. In collaboration with global partners of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), the Global Health Security Alliance (GHSA) as well as other partners, GHPP had taken initiative, and demonstrated accountability and ownership to apply article 44 of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).
Norway has been a global leader in global health and has led and engaged in several health security initiatives. The GHPP has on the one hand had twining partnerships with selected countries to enhance their uptake and applicability of the IHR, and on the other hand, the GHPP has engaged with many global institutions like the WHO; initiatives as the GHSA; and associations as the IANPHI.
GHPP has served as a core initiative to the Institute’s global agenda. Having hands-on experience from working with our four collaborating countries Ghana, Malawi, Moldova, and Palestine has been important asset engaging in global activities. The overarching objective of the GHPP’s global activities was to improve global adherence and uptake of the IHR. Experiences from the GHPP and from responding to the COVID-19 pandemic was instrumental in developing several IHR monitoring and evaluation frameworks. GHPP exemplifies our strive for a resilient, reciprocal, and interdependent global health security system.
Achieved results
Prior to COVID-19
- Active participation in GHSA activities, workshops, and seminars.
- Participation in preparing for, developing, and conducting Joint External Evaluations (JEEs), Simulation Exercises (SimEx), After action Reviews (AAR) and National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).
- Performing several JEE activities, SimEx, AAR, and NAPHS.
- Engaging with WHO technical working groups.
- Participation in the work of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB)
- Dissemination of lessons learned from partner countries with global organisations e.g., WHO, IANPHI, European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC) and Africa CDC.
- Coordination of global initiatives with Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, Germany, and others.
During and after COVID-19
- Knowledge production with GPMB
- Active participation in several global initiatives followed the pandemic (IPPPR, IHR review committee, and GPMB).
- Participation in WHO led Technical Working group to update and synchronise the IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (IHRMEF).
- Engagement with other European countries to organise and deploy emergency aids.
- Dissemination of scientific publications, lectures, and workshops on pandemic management.
End user experience
GHPP has had an agile result-driven-framework with several milestones of strengthening IHR core capacities across various countries of Ghana, Malawi, Palestine and Moldova. The GHPP is a real-life example of application of the article 44 of the IHR 2005.
- Ludy Suryantoro, Global Strategic Preparedness Network lead, WHO HQ office, Geneva.
- Several deliverables of the GHPP were focused on exchanging knowledge and expertise with partnering countries to better understand and enhance their national core capacities of public health according to the IHR.
- Strengthening of organisational structure and activities of national public health institutes of Ghana, Malawi, Moldova, and Palestine.
- NIPH has received recognition for the model and achievements of the GHPP by global actors like WHO and IANPHI and by sister institutes in other countries, and not the least as seen by collaborating countries response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lessons learned
- Through GHPP global, NIPH further developed its large network with various global decision makers and organisations like ECDC, WHO, USCDC, IANPHI, Africa CDC and others.
- The global activities of the programme granted Norway a position as a forefront global health security leader based on knowledge, competence, connectivity, and impartiality.
- NIPH through GHPP global has collaborated closely with IANPHI to strengthen public health institutions and to develop the association to the benefit of its members around the world.
- Working in global health, GHPP’s members have gained hands-on experience collaborating with countries in developing and implementing national IHR core competences.
- Global activities in GHPP have fostered and expanded personal relationships and network, which will continue beyond the GPHH period. Many of these global activities are based on personal relationships, institutional memory, and networking, which will continue beyond the GHPP’s lifespan.
