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Public health emergency operations centres

A Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC)

Public health emergency operations centres (PHEOCs) play a vital role in the management and coordination of public health emergencies. Our programme empowers countries to structure and enhance their core capacities for operational readiness, preparedness and response coordination. This is crucial to meet the obligations of the International Health Regulations (2005).

A PHEOC is a hub for coordinating the preparedness, response and recovery processes for public health emergencies using a multisectoral approach. Effective PHEOCs can swiftly detect a broad range of public health risks by combining inputs from a range of surveillance systems. They can then swiftly notify high-level leadership and relevant stakeholders. This helps to ensure that appropriate actions are taken promptly to prevent or lessen the effects of a potential threat.

In essence, a PHEOC is a platform to streamline the flow of information and the allocation of resources needed to manage incidents. A PHEOC is designed to ensure a goal-oriented response to public health emergencies and unity of effort among response agencies, strengthening their effectiveness in the face of acute crises. Timely implementation of a PHEOC can help to avoid typical gaps like delayed decision-making due to unclear leadership, resource mismanagement and inadequate coordination.

PHEOCs are also known as operations centres, situation rooms or command centres. A centre may be housed in a temporary facility or have its own permanent location.

Online course on PHEOCs

To facilitate the setting up and sustainability of PHEOCs, WHO has designed an online course for health emergency preparedness and response professionals, policy-makers and partners.

Launched in December 2020, this course complements WHO’s Framework for a public health emergency operations centre. The framework covers the key concepts and fundamental prerequisites for developing and managing a PHEOC.

The framework is currently under review. An updated version will incorporate the PHEOC concept, its central elements and the process of its conception and operation within WHO Member States.