WHO South-East Asia Region, 10 March 2026, virtual meeting 13:00 - 14:00 (IST)
The WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) convened partners on 10 March 2026 for a virtual meeting titled “Mobilizing Solidarity and Collective Action for Emergency Operations: South-East Asia Region Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF).” This meeting provided a platform to engage development partners, multilateral institutions and diplomatic missions on the updated policy and business rules of SEARHEF, which came into effect on 1 January 2026.
Opening the consultation, Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge of the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, highlighted the increasing complexity and frequency of health emergencies in the region and stressed the importance of predictable and flexible financing to enable timely response operations. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Deputy Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Geneva, underscored the importance of mobilizing global financing to reinforce emergency action and highlighted pathways to strengthen regional preparedness and response.
Participants were briefed on the updated governance arrangements, eligibility criteria and operational modalities of SEARHEF, including its role in complementing global financing mechanisms while providing regionally responsive support for immediate operational needs during emergencies. The revised framework also opens the Fund to voluntary financial and in-kind contributions from development partners, donors, the private sector and philanthropic organizations, creating new opportunities for collaboration to strengthen sustainable financing for health emergency preparedness and response in the region. In an evolving and constrained global financing environment, this expanded partnership approach aims to mobilize broader support for emergency preparedness and response in the region.
The discussion concluded with a shared recognition that strong partnerships and collective action are essential to ensure that countries in the region have timely access to the resources required to respond effectively to health emergencies, protect vulnerable populations and strengthen regional health security.