• The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), an initiative coordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), marked its 25th anniversary on April 28. 

• WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said GOARN is a vital part of the global health architecture.

The genesis of GOARN

• GOARN was created in response to the need for better coordination during global health emergencies. 

• While many partner organisations were sending teams to assist during emergencies, there was a lack of coordination which hindered the overall effectiveness of these responses. 

• It was also clear that no single institution could address all components of a response alone.

• Inclusivity and coordination across multidisciplinary, state and non-state actors, from the local to the global levels, is paramount for effective outbreak response.

• GOARN was thus born following an international meeting organised by WHO in Geneva on April 26-28, 2000.

• Some 121 representatives from 67 partner institutions discussed the growing challenge of epidemic-prone and emerging diseases, and the urgent need to build a global network based on existing partnerships to address these threats.

• In October 2000, GOARN played a key role in responding to the major Ebola outbreak in Gulu, Uganda.

• GOARN is coordinated by an operational support team based at the WHO headquarters in Geneva and governed by a steering committee.

The impact

• Since its inception in April 2000, the network has been at the forefront of the global fight against health emergencies. 

• By leveraging the expertise of global partners – facilitating alerts, deploying rapid support capacities, and strengthening capacities – it has significantly enhanced country-level operations and strengthened regional development, playing a critical role in health preparedness and response.

• Through the network, countries get the expert support they need to respond to health emergencies, and to enhance their own capacities for preparedness and response. 

• GOARN leverages the expertise of its partner institutions to address global health challenges. Operating as a unified international community, the network has responded swiftly and effectively to public health threats by deploying technical experts to ensure the right expertise is in the right place at the right time. 

• GOARN’s goal is to strengthen countries' capacities and help build strong, resilient systems for response to emergencies.

• GOARN ensures that the experts are well-trained and equipped with the right skills before they are deployed where they are needed most, fostering seamless collaboration for swift, coordinated, and impactful responses.

• It has now grown into a network of over 310 institutions, including national public health agencies, non-governmental organisations, UN agencies, academic, and other technical organisations. 

• GOARN has responded to over 175 public health emergencies in 114 countries, deploying more than 3,645 international responders who integrate within national responses, collaborating with thousands of national professionals to strengthen and enhance local efforts.

• The network has tackled major global public health events, including outbreaks of SARS, Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, COVID-19, mpox, cholera, yellow fever, disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and war. 

• GOARN has deployed expertise in epidemiology, disease surveillance, case management, clinical care, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, and others. 

• These efforts have also delivered hands-on training to hundreds of national teams, bolstering their immediate response capacity and long-term resilience.

• GOARN is a vital pillar in the Global Health Emergency Corps ensuring a well-coordinated health emergency workforce, centered in countries and connected regionally and globally.

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