Health information and risk assessment
Detection, verification, reporting, assessment and response
WHO works to provide timely and authoritative situation analysis, risk assessment and response monitoring for all major health threats and events. This requires effective surveillance systems to detect threats, the capacity to investigate and analyse alerts, and a clear reporting system that ensures a rapid and coordinated response to public health events and emerging crises.
Every year, WHO Regional Office for Europe receives more than 20 000 signals of all-hazard public health threats. Of these, approximately 2 000 are initially analysed, and about 50 - or one every week - require the Organization to conduct an in-depth formal assessment and some level of action or response.
Under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) all States Parties are required to swiftly communicate on any event that might constitute a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) through international spread of disease and that might require a coordinated response. This is done through National IHR Focal Points (NFPs) via notification or consultation channels with WHO. State Parties are then required to follow procedures to respond to the event.
To comprehensively meet the early warning and alert requirements of the IHR, there is a need to strengthen and develop both routine indicator-based surveillance and event-based surveillance. The organized mechanism to reach this objective is referred to as Early Warning and Response (EWAR).
In the European Region WHO works with countries and partners to strengthen all aspects of activities for the systematic detection, verification and risk assessment of events. This includes facilitating contact and strengthening communication channels among National IHR Focal Points (NFPs) of the Member States to increase the timeliness and transparency of event information sharing, including for international contact tracing purposes.
IHR: Event reporting and review
Mapping potential hazards and vulnerabilities: WHO e-atlas
Effective emergency preparedness requires information on the nature of disasters that are likely to strike an area as well as the vulnerability of its population and infrastructure. WHO’s e-atlas, which has been developed for 34 countries in the European Region, allows an overview of selected natural hazards faced by countries: floods, heat-waves, landslides, seismic and winds.
WHO e-atlas of disaster risk for the European Region
Risk communications in emergencies
Emergency risk communications (ERC) are a core requirement for countries under the International Health Regulations, since they ensure that everyone receives the information they need to make informed decisions to protect themselves and those around them.
Timely and transparent messaging that reaches all communities is essential during health emergencies. It is also just as important that those involved in managing emergency responses are aware of what affected communities understand about the event and how they should protect themselves. Information sharing should be a two-way street, and early and regular emergency risk communications builds trust and contributes to crisis control, while delayed communications increase the likelihood of negative outcomes.
