17 March 2019 – A one-day national stakeholder workshop on WHO collaborating centres was held on 4 February, 2019 in Islamabad, Pakistan, organized by the Department of Information, Evidence and Research of the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the WHO country office in Pakistan.
The purpose of the workshop was to create awareness among health care providers, academia and research institutions about the status and role of WHO collaborating centres. The workshop further aimed to provide participants with an insight into the mechanisms, policies and procedures which leads to a centre being designated as a WHO collaborating centre.
WHO's vision for its work with countries of the Region includes scaling up the role of collaborating centres. Participants were introduced to the regional road map and the priorities which will guide future collaboration. This collaboration starts by initiating joint planning, implementation, assessment activities with WHO at national/international level and strengthening collaboration over a period of at least two years as a prerequisite for eligibility to be designated a collaborating centre.
The workshop generated great interest among participants in expanding the agenda and scope of work of existing centres, as well as working towards designating a greater number of centres to improve public health in the Region and beyond.
Thirty-five participants representing a range of stakeholders and institutions of Pakistan's 4 provinces attended, and Dr Samrah Mazhar, Deputy-Director of Programmes of the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination and Dr Ni’ma Saeed Abid, acting WHO Representative in Pakistan, also attended. The workshop was facilitated by experts from the WHO Regional Office and directors of the 4 currently designated collaborating centres in Pakistan shared with participants their experiences of acting as collaborating centres.
