Stronger together: webinar series on pandemic prevention and response

In an increasingly interconnected world, the next pandemic is not a question of if but when. As global health threats become more complex, the need for stronger collaboration across sectors has never been more urgent. Recognizing this, WHO, FAO, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Pandemic Fund Secretariat and partners launched a webinar series in January 2025 to advance pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR). This initiative aims to break down silos, foster knowledge-sharing, and strengthen partnerships that are essential for building resilient health systems.

The first webinar, leveraging partnerships for delivery, focused on the critical role of local and international partnerships in strengthening PPR efforts. Bringing together government representatives, international organizations, and technical experts, the discussion highlighted how collaboration enhances capacity-building, investment leverage, and the implementation of effective PPR strategies. Through country-level experiences shared from Ethiopia, the session highlighted the importance of multi-sectoral cooperation in tackling health threats. Key ingredients shared from representatives from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, WHO and FAO stressed:

• the value of a strong national coordination mechanism, bringing cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholders together for a One Health approach.
• the importance of working though national and local counterparts as delivery partners, in particular, working towards sustainability of action as well as partnering with those that best understand the local context and can reach the most rural of communities.

Reflecting on the importance of this initiative, Thanawat Tiensin, Assistant Director-General and Director of the Animal Production and Health Division, emphasized:

“Strong local and national implementation partnerships are critical to building resilient health systems and addressing the complex challenges of potential pandemics. No single agency can tackle the threats of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) alone. Through mechanisms like the Pandemic Fund, we must ensure that resources are effectively leveraged for firm national partnerships to truly support sustainable impacts at the country level.”

The first webinar set the stage for continued dialogue and collaboration in the upcoming sessions, which will explore technical solutions, innovative approaches, and lessons learned from country-level PPR implementation, including through the Pandemic Fund. By strengthening multi-sectoral partnerships, this series will contribute to more effective and sustainable pandemic preparedness and response efforts worldwide.