Strong health systems are built before emergencies occur through coordination, preparedness and continuous learning.
Under the European Union–WHO-funded Health Security in Türkiye Project, the WHO Country Office in Türkiye, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Türkiye and with technical guidance from WHO/Europe, is hosting the Advanced Public Health Emergency Management Training on 4–8 May 2026 in Ankara. The training brings together key national and subnational stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health of Türkiye, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and other relevant response institutions, to strengthen coordinated preparedness, response and recovery capacities for public health emergencies.
Today’s world continues to present diverse public health threats, including infectious disease outbreaks, environmental and chemical hazards, and natural disasters. Türkiye’s strategic geographic position places it at the centre of these challenges. Nevertheless, recent experiences, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 earthquakes, have highlighted Türkiye’s resilience and the importance of strong coordination, preparedness, readiness and intersectoral collaboration for effective emergency response. The training also reflects the strong leadership of the Ministry of Health in advancing national emergency preparedness and response capacities.
The training aims to enhance operational readiness across key national structures, including the Ministry of Health, emergency health services, field epidemiology units and laboratory networks. It also supports alignment with the WHO health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience framework and the Türkiye National Disaster Response Plan (TAMP), strengthening interoperability between national and international systems.
Building on the 2024 foundational public health emergency management training, this advanced training focuses on scenario-based, applied learning across the full emergency management cycle, through technical sessions, case discussions and tabletop exercises.
It further reflects the ongoing collaboration between WHO and national authorities in Türkiye in advancing health security and public health emergency management, with continued support of the European Union.