Meeting Report

THIRD REGIONAL FORUM
OF WHO COLLABORATING CENTRESIN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

22–23 November 2018
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Third Regional Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific22–23 November 2018
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONREGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC
RS/2018/GE/67(VNM)

English only

MEETING REPORTREPORT OF THE THIRD REGIONAL FORUM
OF WHO COLLABORATING CENTRES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

Convened by:WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONREGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC

Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
22–23 November 2018

Not for sale
Printed and distributed by:World Health Organization
Regional Office for the Western Pacific
Manila, Philippines

May 2019

NOTE

The views expressed in this report are those of the participants of the Third Regional Forum of WHO
Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the conveners.

This report has been prepared by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western
Pacific for Member States in the Region and for those who participated in the Third Regional Forum of
WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam from22 to 23 November 2018.

CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................... i
SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 1
1.

2.

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 2
1.1

Meeting organization ............................................................................................................ 2

1.2

Meeting objectives ................................................................................................................ 2

1.3

Forum organization ............................................................................................................... 2

1.4

Forum participants ................................................................................................................ 2

PROCEEDINGS ............................................................................................................................ 3
2.1

Opening session .................................................................................................................... 3

2.2

Session 1 – Plenary: Past, present and future (1) .................................................................. 4

2.3

Session 2 – Panel: Past, present and future (2) ..................................................................... 4

2.4

Lunchtime sessions: WHO collaborating centres policies and procedures........................... 6

2.5

Lunchtime sessions: Poster viewing ..................................................................................... 6

2.6

Session 3 – Breakout sessions: Enhancing collaboration via WHO’s new
strategic direction .................................................................................................................. 7

2.7

Field visits: Understanding country needs ............................................................................ 7

2.8

Optional session .................................................................................................................... 7

2.9

Session 4 – Plenary: Eminent speaker .................................................................................. 7

2.10 Session 5 – Panel: Working effectively at country level ...................................................... 7
2.11 Session 6 – Breakout session: Maximizing role of WHO collaborating centresin supporting countries .......................................................................................................... 8
Pacific island countries and areas .......................................................................................... 8
Viet Nam................................................................................................................................ 8
Cambodia ............................................................................................................................... 9
Malaysia ................................................................................................................................. 9
2.12

Session 7 – Breakout session: Looking forward – Next steps and actions ......................... 10

2.13

Closing session.................................................................................................................... 103.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 11
3.1

Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 11

3.2

Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 11

ANNEXES: ....................................................................................................................................... 13
ANNEX 1 : Full programme .......................................................................................................... 13
ANNEX 2A : List of participants ................................................................................................... 17
ANNEX 2B : List of Secretariat....................................................................................................... 27
ANNEX 3 : Summary of outcomes of breakout sessions 3 and 7 .................................................. 29
A. Communicable diseases ....................................................................................................... 29
A1. Tuberculosis / HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections ...................................... 29
A2. Malaria, other vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases ............................................... 29
B. Health Systems..................................................................................................................... 30
B1. Access to medicines & health technologies, strengthening regulatory capacityand blood services............................................................................................................... 30
B2. Health systems, information & evidence and National health policies, strategies
and plans .............................................................................................................................. 30
B3. Integrated Service Delivery and human resources for health ............................................. 31
B4. Traditional medicine ........................................................................................................... 32
C. Noncommunicable diseases and health through the life-course (Tobacco Free Initiative;
Nutrition, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health; Health and theEnvironment; Disabilities and Rehabilitation ..................................................................... 33
D. Health security and food safety........................................................................................... 34
E.

Library and Publications (Strategic communications) ........................................................ 35

ANNEX 4 : Field visits: summary of key discussions ................................................................... 37
ANNEX 5A: Awarded collaborating centres ................................................................................... 39
ANNEX 5B: Collaborating centres receiving plaques ..................................................................... 41
ANNEX 6 : Outcome Statement of the Third Regional Forum of WHO Collaborating Centresin the Western Pacific, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 22–23 November 2018 ......... 43

KEYWORDS:
Intersectoral collaboration / International cooperation / Technical cooperation

ABBREVIATIONSAPSED III
GPW
NCD
PICs
SDG
TB
UHC
WHO
WHO CC

Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies
General Programme of Worknoncommunicable disease
Pacific island countries and areas
Sustainable Development Goal
tuberculosis
universal health coverage
World Health Organization
WHO Collaborating Centreiii

SUMMARY
World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating centres are instrumental partners that provide
strategic support in implementing WHO’s mandate and programmes and in developing andstrengthening institutional capacity in countries and regions. Two previous Regional Forums of WHO
Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific were held in 2014 and 2016, respectively, to shareexperiences and discuss alignment of collaborating centres’ work and WHO priorities. Building on
the success of the previous forums, the Third Regional Forum was convened on
22–23 November 2018, bringing together 227 participants from 140 collaborating centres across ninecountries, in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
The Third Regional Forum provided participants with opportunities to share good practices,
strengthen and promote innovative collaboration and networking mechanisms among collaborating
centres, as well as identify opportunities to maximize contribution towards WHO support at thecountry level. Participants gained a better understanding of WHO’s strategic programmes andframeworks by actively participating in the programmes designed to maximize interactions, consistingof technical sessions, presentations by collaborating centres, four country perspectives, posters display
and six field visits to local health organizations.
The Forum noted significant progress made since the first two forums. WHO and collaborating
centres have worked together more effectively and with better aligned priorities. Collaborating centres
have also developed relationships with each other. Many have become more involved in providing
support at the country level, playing a critical role in supporting WHO’s work in pursuit of the
Sustainable Development Goals.
Optimizing collaborating centres’ contribution in delivering effective country support requires theright country support to meet country needs in the right context, at the right time and with the rightapproach. Right country support should be a joint effort of WHO, collaborating centres and Member
States, coordinated by WHO through a sound communication and coordination process.
The Forum reaffirmed the critical role of collaborating centres in making an impact at the country
level and proposed the “Three Cs” (communication, consultation and collaboration) platforms as ameasure to regularly monitor and evaluate the collaboration between WHO and collaborating centres.
It was also suggested that WHO and collaborating centres should strengthen their “story-telling” by
sharing the experience and expertise of collaborating centres for best practice and resource
mobilization and to help “match” collaborating centre expertise to the priorities and the needs ofcountries.
The Forum concluded with remarks by the WHO Regional Director and endorsement of the2018 Outcome Statement as well as an agreement to convene the Fourth and Fifth Regional Forumsof WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific in 2020 and 2022, respectively, to further
strengthen and evaluate innovative collaboration to “promote health, keep the world safe and serve thevulnerable”.

1

1.
1.1

INTRODUCTION

Meeting organization

World Health Organization collaborating centres (WHO CCs) are instrumental partners that provide
strategic support in implementing WHO’s mandate and programmes, and in developing andstrengthening institutional capacity in countries and regions. Built on the success of the previous
forums, which were held in 2014 and 2016, respectively, the Third Regional Forum brought together
227 participants from 140 collaborating centres across nine countries, in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
on 22–23 November 2018. The participants shared experiences, discussed ideas and networked by
actively participating in the programmes designed to maximize interactions, consisting of technical
topics, country perspectives and six field visits.
1.2

Meeting objectives

The objectives of the meeting were:
1) to share good practices and reflect on progress since the second forum in 2016;2) to strengthen and promote innovative collaboration and networking mechanisms; and3) to identify opportunities to maximize contribution of WHO CCs towards WHO support at thecountry level.
1.3

Forum organization

The Forum was convened by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in collaboration with
the WHO country office. This marked the first time that the Regional Forum was organized outside
Manila, Philippines. This was also the first time that heads of WHO country offices participated in the
Forum in person. The programmes were designed to encourage engagement and consisted of technical
topics, country perspectives and field visits to six local health-care facilities, which aimed to further
enrich participants’ understanding of country needs and priorities at the facility level. This was thefirst time that field visits were included in the programme. Highlights included homages to
Dr Shin Young-soo, who initiated and presided over the past two forums, and this third Forum would
be his last as WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. The Forum congratulated the incoming
Regional Director, Dr Takeshi Kasai, whose term would start in February 2019. The Forum also
welcomed eminent expert, Dr Margaret Chan, President of the Boao Forum for Asia Global HealthForum. The WHO CC Forum agenda and detailed programme are available in Annex 1.
1.4

Forum participants

The Forum brought together 227 representatives from 140 collaborating centres from nine countries(Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, andViet Nam). The WHO Secretariat was represented by the Regional Director, heads of WHO country
offices in Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore and Viet Nam, as well as the WHO
Representative to the South Pacific/Director for Pacific Technical Support, directors of the technicaland administrative divisions, executive officers of the Country Support Unit and the Office of theRegional Director, the core organizing committee, and selected WHO responsible officers for thecollaborating centres. Two staff members from WHO headquarters were also present. A list ofparticipants and WHO Secretariat is available in Annex 2.

2

2.
2.1

PROCEEDINGS

Opening session

Facilitated by Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Director of Programme Management, the session began withwelcome remarks by the Minister of Health Viet Nam, Associate Professor Dr Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.
In his opening address, Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific,
reflected on health gains and challenges in the Western Pacific Region during the past decade andoutlined key future health-care challenges. This was followed by an introduction of the WHO CCs
and presentation of the Forum objectives and programmes.
One of the major challenges of the past decade was the global financial crisis, which greatly
diminished countries’ capacity to invest in health. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
replaced the Millennium Development Goals, changing the development landscape and global
geopolitics of health care. Demographic shifts and epidemiological transition such as rapidly ageing
population, increased urbanization, the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and increasing
inequity in health challenged the capacity of health systems. Despite these challenges, countries
continued to develop and progress towards better population health. There has been growing politicalcommitment at the highest levels to universal health coverage (UHC); and despite economic
constraints, governments are investing more in health.
Though communicable diseases remain major causes of deaths in the Region, significant health gains
have been made. Most malaria-endemic countries are closer than ever to elimination. Deaths fromtuberculosis (TB) have decreased by 30%, and TB incidence has declined. Sustained immunization ofchildren has helped turn the tide on viral hepatitis. More than 40 million new hepatitis infections havebeen prevented, and approximately 7 million lives have been saved.
NCDs are responsible for four out of every five premature deaths in the Region, affecting countries at
all development levels. Countries have taken strong action to tackle the all-important NCD risk
factors – tobacco use, excessive consumption of alcohol, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity.
Several countries have used legislative measures, such as higher taxes on unhealthy products, smokefree laws and stronger warning labels on tobacco packages.
Countries’ health systems have been strengthened. Several have made good progress in reducing outof-pocket expenses, which helped increase access to health care and services. This progress has been
the result of joint efforts of many partners and shared commitments to continue to address NCDs,
prepare for health emergencies, strengthen primary health care and strengthen health systems towards
UHC. Advances have also been made to address health security threats in the Region. Compared with
10 years ago, countries are better prepared to respond to health emergencies.
Strengthening working relationships with other sectors is crucial to address health-care challenges,
most of which come from outside the health sector. Solutions to these challenges lie outside thetraditional WHO sphere of influence. Environmental health, climate change and antimicrobial
resistance are some examples. Poor air quality causes more than 2 million deaths in the Region every
year. Climate change poses immediate risks to people living in the Pacific, and many have become
climate change refugees, living with poor sanitation and hygiene as well as increased risk of diseases.
Drug-resistant TB and malaria affect population health, and declining donor support further
challenges countries in sustaining the prevention, detection and response to infectious diseases. A
multisectoral, whole-of-society, whole-of-system approach is therefore a key to addressing future
health-care challenges.

3WHO continues to strive to improve its ways of working and to strengthen partnerships with othersectors. Collaborating centres, along with other partners, are instrumental in supporting WHO toachieve “a world in which all people attain the highest possible level of health and well-being”.
Dr Shin urged all the participants to make full use of the Regional Forum as an important avenue todiscuss strengthening partnerships for support to countries with greater impact. He thanked
collaboration centres for their contribution to the progress towards better population health andencouraged them to continue their support to the incoming Regional Director.
2.2

Session 1 – Plenary: Past, present and future (1)Dr Takeshi Kasai shared the progress of collaboration between WHO and institutions since the second
Regional Forum in 2016. The first Regional Forum was convened in 2014 in Manila to share WHO
priorities, share good practices of effective collaboration, and identify innovative opportunities tostrengthen strategic partnerships between WHO and collaborating centres. Since then, WHO andinstitutions have worked more collaboratively. The work of collaborating centres has been part ofWHO’s workplan and their activities have been monitored. The role of each collaborating centre has
also been more clearly defined. There have been more dialogues between WHO and collaborating
centres and good practices have been shared and used.
The second Regional Forum, convened in 2016, further promoted the sharing and use of goodpractices and strengthened the alignment of collaborating centres’ work with the needs of Member
States and WHO priorities. The second Regional Forum introduced the SDGs and emphasizedcollaboration that was designed and implemented in line with country priorities and commitments toachieving the SDGs. The Forum further fostered innovative and effective partnerships for better
health outcomes in countries and encouraged collaboration between and among WHO CCs.
Two collaborating centres shared experiences of innovative collaboration among institutions. Since
the first Regional Forum in 2014, institutions in Japan and the Republic of Korea, respectively, have
set up networks of in-country collaborating centres. Representative of the WHO Collaborating Centre
for Health Systems (JPN-45) shared their experiences of developing the Japan WHO CC network.
Hosted by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), Japan, the Japan network oforganized two meetings, in 2017 and 2018 respectively, to foster good relationships among thecentres, discuss collaboration and follow up on implementations. A total of 58 experts from 34
collaborating centres attended in 2017 and 50 experts from 32 collaborating centres in 2018. Seniorleadership from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific participated in both meetings,
reaffirming WHO’s commitment to strengthen partnerships with collaborating centres.
The Alliance of WHO Collaborating Centres in Korea was set up in 2014 with three key objectives –partnerships, collaboration and information sharing. The Alliance has formal terms of reference, awebsite and an online meeting platform (www.whocckorea.com). Up until 2018, the Alliance hasorganized a total of 13 meetings, including online meetings. Membership included eight public
institutions, 10 universities and three government organizations. Key activities included theorganization of conferences, seminars and training, collaborative projects among collaborating centres,
and sharing of information.
2.3

Session 2 – Panel: Past, present and future (2)This moderated session aimed to familiarize collaborating centres with the new WHO global
framework and key regional strategies and frameworks developed since the last Forum.

4The Thirteenth WHO General Programme of Work (GPW13) is a framework to accelerate progressfor achieving the SDGs with a mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve thevulnerable. The GPW13 focuses on three strategic priorities known as “the triple billion”: 1 billion
more people enjoying better health and well-being, 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC and1 billion more people better protected from health emergencies. “The triple billion” areinterdependent, and each cannot be achieved individually. Implementing these strategic priorities will
require new ways of working that should include strategic shifts in the way we work. The
organizational shift will include strategies to step up leadership, drive impact at the country level andfocus on global public good impact. This shift should take into consideration the sociopolitical andeconomic context of the countries. It should also identify and measure impact, reshape the operating
model, transform partnerships, and promote and foster a change in the work culture. This WHO
framework for the SDGs has a strong and central focus on country support. It emphasizes that thenormative work should be driven by needs and that there should be a clear demonstration andarticulation of outcomes, including efforts to build accountability of results. This can only happen
with strong partnership and multisectoral collaboration.
The agenda items of the Regional Committee sessions provide opportunities for WHO to respond to
the needs and requests of Member States and provide a strategic focus to the support that is provided.
Directors of each technical division presented an overview of key priorities that have been addressedand opened opportunities for collaborating centres to consider how they can help WHO in providing
the required support to Member States. The micro-videos showed the Regional Committee agenda
items developed and approved in the last two years.
Each WHO division director provided a brief introduction on how and why these Regional Committee
agenda items (Table 1) were chosen. The Division of Health Systems emphasized UHC, which isabout access to good quality care without undergoing financial hardship. It requires the “iron triangle”
of governance, service delivery and financing. To operationalize this, one of the items was to clarify
and improve accountability of hospitals in the health systems. To strengthen accountability, one entry
point is to leverage the opportunities created by e-health. In addition, a strong governance andaccountability mechanism requires sound legal and regulatory frameworks.
Communicable diseases remain an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the Region, mainly
affecting the most vulnerable. The Regional Committee agenda on triple elimination of mother-tochild transmission of hepatitis, HIV and syphilis was an effort to significantly reduce the morbidity
due to these infections using an integrated approach. The platform provided by antenatal care can be
optimized to provide preventive/protective services. Another example is neglected tropical diseases,
which mainly affect marginalized populations. They can be controlled by effective chemotherapy andsound surveillance, and the regional framework on neglected tropical diseases focuses on ensuringthat services can be accessed by all. The agenda items on measles and rubella elimination areimportant because of their prevalence in the Region; these diseases can be effectively prevented
through vaccination.
Significant health priorities in the Region are due to the rise in NCDs and ageing population.
Rehabilitation usually has been associated with people with disability. However, it is an essential partof UHC and is important for continuity of care. To address the unmet need for rehabilitation services,
the Regional Action Framework on Rehabilitation focuses on integrating rehabilitation in all levels of
the health system. The success of SDG 3 will depend on people’s ability to promote and maintain
good health. The agenda item on promoting health in the SDGs builds on the Ottawa Charter and theShanghai Declaration. The agenda item on protecting children from the harmful impact of foodmarketing aims to control the marketing and consumption of unhealthy foods among infants and5children; unhealthy marketing approaches have an adverse effect on the health of children. This will
be further elaborated at the 2019 Regional Committee session.
The Western Pacific Region is home to eight of 15 countries in the world with frequent emergencies.
This makes it important for countries to be better prepared. The Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging
Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED III) framework focuses on strengthening genericpublic health systems and learning from real-world events. As the context is ever changing, countries
have to be ready for new and emerging diseases and outbreaks. In addition, while Member States’
health systems have progressed substantially, investing in building core capacities is still required torespond effectively to emergencies and disasters.
Table 1. Regional Committee agenda items by WHO technical division
Division
Communicable Diseases

Health Systems

NCDs and Healththrough the Life-Course

Health Security andEmergencies

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

2.4

Regional Committee agenda item
Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B
and syphilis (2017)
Measles and rubella elimination (2017)
Controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases (2018)
Financing priority public health services (2017)
Making medicines and the health workforce safer (2017)
Strengthening legal frameworks for health (2018)
Improving hospital planning and management (2018)
Harnessing e-health for service delivery (2018)
Protecting children from the harmful impact of food marketing(2017)
Health promotion in the Sustainable Development Goals (2017)
Strengthening rehabilitation for health and well-being (2018)
Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health
Emergencies (APSED III)
Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action for Disaster
Risk Management for Health (RDM)
Food Safety (2017)

Lunchtime sessions: WHO collaborating centres policies and procedures

Facilitated by Ms Tatiana Titova, Technical Officer, WHO HQ Collaborating Centres Team,Mr Fabio Di Cera Paternostro, External Relations Officer, Partnership and Non-State Actors, andMs Nittita Prasopa-Plaizier, Technical Officer, Education and Capacity Development, sessions wereorganized during the lunch break on both days, to provide updates on policies and procedures related
to WHO CCs. In particular, the presentations discussed changes to policies and procedures, including
the inclusion of due diligence in the redesignation process. The presentations would be shared directlywith collaborating centres through their respective technical officers.
2.5

Lunchtime sessions: Poster viewing

In total, 102 of 140 (73%) of collaborating centres exhibited their posters to communicate their key
activities and achievements, highlighting relevance to the SDGs and the country support that they
delivered in collaboration with WHO. Each day, different sets of posters were on display. Participants
were asked to vote for posters that impressed them the most, using coloured stickers to indicate their“vote”. The lunchtime session on each day was dedicated for viewing posters, and the participants
were encouraged to view posters at any time during the day. The number of stickers was tallied at the6end of each day. The top five collaborating centres were presented with a Recognition ofDistinguished Forum Poster award (Annex 5B).
2.6
Session 3 – Breakout sessions: Enhancing collaboration via WHO’s new strategic
direction
The breakout sessions were arranged by divisions. The sessions provided opportunities for thetechnical units and relevant collaborating centres to take stock of progress in implementing the 2016
Forum recommendations, reflecting on their contribution to the SDGs and discussing current activities
and priorities. The discussion continued in session 7 on exploring opportunities to align the work of
their respective programme areas. A summary of the outcomes of sessions 3 and 7 is available inAnnex 3.
2.7

Field visits: Understanding country needs

Field visits to six local health facilities and organizations (Cho Ray Hospital, Children’s hospital #2,
Co Giang Commune Health Station, District 1 Health Center, Pasteur Institute, and University of
Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City) were organized to offer deep understanding of country
needs and context. Participants were provided with an opportunity to visit a health facility ororganization of their interest. The programme included observation (walk around), briefing by thefacility’s representatives (leadership or senior management), and discussion and questions. The
observation and discussions enabled the participants (collaborating centres) to understand challenges
faced by WHO in supporting Member States. This also enabled health-care facilities to meet with anddiscuss with WHO CCs. A list of visited health facilities and key messages is provided in Annex 4.
2.8

Optional session

An optional session was organized to offer an opportunity for participants who did not participate in
the field visits to discuss cross-cutting topics of interest. They discussed three main topics: UHC,
health promotion and climate change. Key messages included the following: UHC remains a key
challenge as about 20 million people in the Region fall into poverty as a result of seeking health care.
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to global health. The rise of NCDs further challenges
sustainability and resilience of health systems. The planning and provision of health care and services,
therefore, require actions that go beyond the health sector; multisectoral efforts are key to achieving
UHC and the SDGs.
2.9

Session 4 – Plenary: Eminent speaker

The participants benefited from the knowledge and experiences of Dr Margaret Chan, President of the
Boao Forum for Asia, who shared her vision and wisdom about key challenges of global health andhow WHO and collaborating centres could exert their joint efforts. Facilitated by Dr Vivian Lin, thesession was presented in an innovative format as an interactive “conversation” between Dr Chan andthe participants. The key messages was that multisectoral collaboration is crucial to tackle global
health as challenges to health care go beyond the health sector and are influenced by many factors.
2.10

Session 5 – Panel: Working effectively at country level

This moderated session provided opportunities for four heads of WHO country offices to share withthe participants key issues and challenges faced by their country to enable better understanding ofcountry needs, contexts and WHO support for countries. The aim was to explore how to support

7

countries effectively through collaboration between WHO and collaboration centres, aligned with the
new WHO strategic direction. Three collaborating centres (AUS-113 WHO Collaborating Centre forStrengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, JPN-67 WHO Collaborating Centre for
Reference and Research on Tropical and Emerging Viral Diseases and KOR-90 WHO Collaborating
Centre for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals) joined the panel discussion to share theirexperiences in collaborating with WHO to support countries. The discussions were continued inbreakout session 6.
2.11
Session 6 – Breakout session: Maximizing role of WHO collaborating centres insupporting countries
There were four breakout sessions led by heads of WHO country offices in Fiji, Viet Nam, Cambodia
and Malaysia, respectively. The discussions built on the previous session and centred around the workof WHO at the country level, including country needs, effective in-country practices, andopportunities for collaboration between WHO and collaborating centres to support WHO’s work at
the country level.
Pacific island countries and areas
Pacific island countries and areas (PICs) face challenges of both communicable andnoncommunicable diseases, outbreaks, disasters, and climate change. Huge geographical distances
add further challenges. Countries are making efforts to achieve targets set by the Healthy Islands
vision. There are 20 WHO CCs supporting the PICs. The WHO Collaborating Centre forStrengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems (AUS-113) works in the area of
rehabilitation and emphasized the importance of bringing rehabilitation services to the community
level by integrating rehabilitation into primary care.
Key areas identified as needing more support from collaborating centres included:
•
•
•
•
•
•

immunization, clinical case management
chemical safety; radiation safety, environment, occupational health, climate change and healthInternational Health Regulations, or IHR (2005), capacities at points of entry
health promotion
nutritione-health.

Viet Nam
Viet Nam, given its 95 million population and vast differences between regions and population groups,
requires tailor-made support meeting their specific needs. Public health systems have been establishedand are functional, but emerging issues such as ageing and NCDs as well as graduation from externalfunding for health need to be addressed. The WHO Collaborating Centre for Standardization and
Evaluation of Biologicals (KOR-90) supports health-related research and training in Viet Nam,
including laboratory training for Zika virus disease, which demonstrates the importance andeffectiveness of close collaboration between WHO country office and collaborating centres.
WHO priorities in Viet Nam, based on the country priorities and WHO global priorities (GPW13) aswell as joint priorities with the United Nations in Viet Nam, are as follows:•

Health systems strengthening: health legislation and health workforce, health financing &resource mobilization, pharmaceuticals and medical products, health service delivery,
maternal and child health, and ageing.

8

•

•

Building sustainable national capacities and partnerships to ensure public health security andsafety: public health security, IHR/APSED, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety,
quality and safety of food and medicines, environmental risk, and occupational health.
Managing effectively communicable and noncommunicable diseases of public healthimportance: HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, TB, malaria, vector-borne diseases and neglected
tropical diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, and NCDs and their risk factors.

Cambodia
Cambodia is facing a rapid increase in population (currently 16 million). NCDs accounted for 61% ofmortality, but only limited health centres provide screening and treatment services for NCDs. Publichealth emergencies also pose a threat to the country. The Government increased the health budget by
16% in 2018. A number of collaborating centres currently provide support to Cambodia. For example,
the WHO Collaborating Centre for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals (KOR-90) supports
surveillance and laboratory services at the country level efficiently by understanding the needs of thecountry and maximizing most of the available resources.
Key areas identified as needing more support from collaborating centres:
•

•
•
•

Health systems: regulatory system strengthening, capacity-building of pharmacovigilancesystem, financial risk protection, e-health and information and communications technology(ICT) roll-out, community engagement, and health promotion.
Communicable diseases: malaria elimination strategic approach and surveillance model,
control of hepatitis, elimination of schistosomiasis.
NCDs: urban health/healthy cities, population salt reduction, integration of NCD
interventions in primary health care, multisectoral collaboration approaches.
Preparedness and responses to public health emergencies: training on zoonotic diseaseresearch and diagnosis, testing of seasonal influenza isolates and samples, sharing experienceon food safety.

Malaysia
Malaysia is an upper-middle-income country with strong health systems. The increasing burden of
NCDs and an ageing population pose new challenges, while gaps in communicable diseases remain.
The WHO country office is small and needs to find a way to provide needed technical support
efficiently through collaboration with WHO CCs. Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam have astrong interest to work with collaborating centres.
Upper-middle-income countries have subscribed to UHC in the SDGs. All Member States in the
Region will require support provided to upper-middle-income countries in the near or distant future.
Transformation of health systems and health security and emergencies can be politically sensitive.
Important aspects of effective country support may include: support that is tailor-made to match andreflect local needs, flexibility and adaptability of collaborating centres, effective and efficient
coordination of support provision, and close and better communication and information exchange
between and across the three levels of WHO (country, region, global) and WHO CCs.
The needs in upper-middle-income countries are as follows:•

Strategic guidance and highly specialized technical assistance: highly specialized assistance,
requiring top-level public health expertise more than pure academic support.

9

•

•

Health systems transformation and reform to sustain UHC: adjustment of health financing tocope with the increasing burden of NCDs and ageing populations and closing the gap forsome communicable diseases and reproductive health.
Preparedness to response to disease outbreaks.

WHO provides support on a range of issues, such as, on taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages,
evaluation of salt-reduction strategies and the establishment of new disease-specific programmes.
There are two collaborating centres supporting Malaysia to establish laboratory quality assurance
systems for viral hepatitis and integrate elimination of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B
through routine testing and antiviral pre-exposure prophylaxis during pregnancy.
The WHO country office would like to benefit from the institutional capacity beyond the terms ofreference of collaborating centres. Support from collaborating centres can also help maintainrelevance and visibility of WHO in the respective country.
2.12

Session 7 – Breakout session: Looking forward – Next steps and actions

This final breakout session provided another opportunity for WHO technical units and collaborating
centres to identify priority areas for collaboration and ways to enhance partnerships to support
countries with greater impact. The discussions built on the issues discussed in breakout session 3 on
the previous day and further refine agreed actions (Annex 3).
2.13

Closing session

The closing session summarized highlights of the discussion in the preceding sessions, which
included the awarding of the WHO Collaborating Centre Awards 2018. Ten collaborating centres
were recognized for their contribution to the work of WHO in the following categories: (1) field
impact (special award from the Regional Director), (2) innovation and research (web stories), and(3) People’s Choice (best posters voted by collaborating centres). The list of wining collaborating
centres is provided in Annex 5.
The draft Outcome Statement was presented to the participants and all were in agreement with it(available in Annex 6). Dr Li Ailan and Dr Hai-rim Shin presented the summary of key messages andthe way forward as follows:
•

•

•

•

Significant progress has been made since the previous forums, and progress in health for theattainment of the SDGs requires a multisectoral, whole-of-society approach at the country
level, which means going outside of traditional ways of working.
Participants gained a better understanding of WHO’s strategic programmes and frameworks
by actively engaging in technical sessions and interactions with heads of WHO country
offices. The field visits to six local health facilities and organizations further enriched theirunderstanding of country needs and priorities at the facility level as well as challenges facedby WHO in providing support to Member States.
Collaborating centres have formed in-country network to share good practices and enhancecollaboration. Representatives of WHO CCs from Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea
shared their experiences of working effectively together and with countries as examples ofeffective country support.
Maximizing the contribution of collaborating centres in delivering effective country support
requires the right country support to meet country needs in the right context, at the right time
and with the right approach. It should be a joint effort of WHO, collaborating centres and

10

•

•

•

Member States, coordinated by WHO through a sound communication and coordination
process.
Collaborating centres should be facilitated to have a good understanding of the political,
sociocultural and economic context of each country so that they can align their work withnational priorities and WHO’s strategic direction, anticipate emerging country needs, anddeliver the support at the right timing and in a flexible way that suits the country context.
The Forum proposed the “Three Cs” (communication, consultation and collaboration) as
platforms to regularly monitor and evaluate the collaboration of WHO and collaborating
centres.
Collaborating centres and WHO should work together to strengthen “story-telling”, that is thesharing of experience and expertise of collaborating centres for best practice and resource
mobilization. WHO can help “match” collaborating centre expertise to the priorities andneeds of countries.
3.

3.1

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

The Forum participants reaffirmed the importance of “working together” across systems and beyond
the health sector to strengthen collaboration and maximize collaborating centres’ contribution indelivering effective country support with greater impact at the country level. They agreed with the
Outcome Statement and committed to continue sharing experiences, expertise and good practices.
The outgoing Regional Director thanked Dr Vivian Lin for her service and urged all thosecollaborating to continue their support to the new Regional Director and further enhance collaborationfor effective country support. The Forum concluded with an agreement to convene the Fourth
Regional Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific in 2020 to further strengthen
innovative collaboration to “promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable”.
3.2

Recommendations

WHO and WHO CCs are encouraged to consider the following next actions:
•
•
•

•
•

Strengthen information sharing between WHO and collaborating centres to better understandcountry context and needs.
Improve coordination to align collaborating centre activities with country priorities and WHO
strategies and frameworks in order to maximize impact at the country level.
Further develop ways of working together, such as establishing and leveraging technicalnetworks at country and regional levels, in order to strengthen knowledge and resource
sharing and synergies.
Share progress and good practices, and better communicate the value of WHO andcollaborating centre partnerships.
Reconvene in 2020 to review the outcomes of the partnership of WHO and collaborating
centres for consistency with the identified priorities.

11

12

ANNEXESANNEX 1. Full programme
Time
08:30

09:45
10:30

11:00

12:00
13:30

Day 1: Thursday, 22 November 2018
Opening session – Ballroom 1, 2, 3
• Introduction - Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Director of Programme Management, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific• Welcome remarks -Honourable Assoc. Professor Dr Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, Minister of Health Viet Nam• Opening address - Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific• Introductions of WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs)• Objectives, agenda, meeting process - Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Director of Programme Management
Break – Pre-function area
Session 1 – Plenary: Past, Present, Future (1) - Ballroom 1, 2, 3
Moderator: Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Director of Programme Management, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific• Report from the Secretariat - progress since 2nd Regional Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific 2016
• Examples of innovative collaboration of WHO CCs
Session 2 - Panel: Past, Present, Future (2) – Ballroom 1, 2, 3
Moderator: Dr Peter Cowley, acting Director, Health Systems
Presentation: Dr Graham Harrison, Executive Officer, Country Support Unit
Panellists:• Overview of WHO’s new global framework• Key regional strategies and frameworks of the last two years
1. Dr Tauhid Islam, acting Director, Communicable Diseases
2. Dr Peter Cowley, acting Director, Health Systems
3. Dr Hai-rim Shin, Director, Non-communicable Diseases and Health through the Life-course
4. Dr Li Ailan, Regional Emergency Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme and Director, Health Security and Emergencies
Lunch
Poster session 1 (12:45 – 13:30)
Day 1 Seminar – WHO CC Policy (12:45 – 13:30)
Saigon Café
Pre-function area
Ballroom 1, 2, 3
Session 3 - Breakout session: Enhancing collaboration via WHO’s new strategic direction• Groups by technical programme areas: Aligning WHO CCs’ work to WHO’s new strategic direction• Effective engagement (upon redesignation, scope within existing terms of references, different engagement models)
Malaria, other
Tuberculosis
HIV/AIDS,
Noncommunicable Health promotion
Mental health and Reproductive,
vector-borne andhepatitis anddiseases andand nutrition
substance abusematernal,
Library andneonatal, child andneglected tropicalLead:sexual transmitted Tobacco Free
Publications
diseasesTauhid Islam
infection
Initiative
Leads:
Lead: Martin
adolescent health(Strategic
Room: Ha Long
Lead:
Riitta-Maija
Vandendyck
Lead:communications)
Lead: Rabindra
Naoko Ishikawa
Lead: Warrick
Hämäläinen and
Room:Howard Sobel
Ballroom 3
Room:Abeyasinghe
Room: Hue
Junsuk Kim
Juliawati Untoro
Lead:
Ballroom 3
Room: Da Nang
Room: Ballroom1
Room:
Chandani Thapa
Ballroom 2
Room: Hanoi
Disability and
Health and theTraditional
Integrated service
Access to
Health systems,
Health security
rehabilitation
environment
medicinedelivery andmedicines &information &and food safety

13

Lead: Darryl
Barrett
Room: Hoi An

15:00
15:30

Lead: Rok Ho
Kim
Room: VIP 4

Lead: Yu Lee
Park
Room: Saigon and
Da Lathuman resources
for healthLeads: Indrajit
Hazarika andOgochukwu
Chukwujekwu
Room: Mekong

evidence andNational healthpolicies, strategies
and plans
Lead: Gao Jun
Room: VIP 2

Leads:
Peter Hoejskov
andMasaya Kato
Room: VIP 5

Leads: Socorro
Escalante andNittita
Prasopa-Plaizier
Room: VIP 3
Break – Pre-function area

Field visits: Understanding country needs
Cho Ray HospitalChildren’s Hospital #2

Pasteur Institute HCMC

18:00

Pre-dinner reception - Lang Du Lich Binh Quoi

Time
08:30

Day 2: Friday, 23 November 2018
Session 4 – Plenary: Eminent Speaker – Ballroom 1, 2, 3

09:00

Session 5 – Panel: Working effectively at country level - Ballroom 1, 2, 3
Moderator: Dr Vivian Lin, Professor, La Trobe University
Panellists:

•

•
•
•
•
•
10:00
10:30

healthtechnologies,
strengthening
regulatory
capacity and blood
services

University of Medicine
and Pharmacy HCMC

A district health centre in
district 1

Co Giang commune healthstation(in district 1)

Key note speech – Dr Margaret Chan, President of the Boao Forum for Asia Global Health ForumDr Corinne Capuano, WHO Representative to the South Pacific and Director, Pacific Technical Support
Dr Liu Yunguo, WHO Representative to Cambodia
Dr Ying-Ru Lo, WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore
Dr Kidong Park, WHO Representative to Viet Nam
Three WHO Collaborating Centres

Break – Pre-function area
Session 6 - Breakout session: Maximizing the role of WHO CCs in supporting WHO’s work at country level••

Country needs and effective in-country practices
Future opportunities for collaboration between WHO and WHO CCs

Group 1: Pacific Island Countries
Lead: Dr Corinne CapuanoGroup 2: Cambodia
Lead: Dr Liu Yunguo

Group 3: Upper-middle income
countries
Lead: Dr Ying-Ru Lo
Participants rotate to select another group

Group 1: Pacific Island Countries
Lead: Dr Corinne CapuanoGroup 2: Cambodia
Lead: Dr Liu Yunguo

Group 3: Upper-middle income
countries
Lead: Dr Ying-Ru Lo

14Group 4: Viet Nam
Lead: Dr Kidong Park

Group 4: Viet Nam
Lead: Dr Kidong Park

12:0013:30

Lunch
Poster session 1 (12:45 – 13:30)
Saigon Café
Pre-function area
Session 7 - Breakout session: Looking forward – next steps and actions•

Groups by technical programme areas: recap of key discussion points and identifying next steps and actions

Malaria, othervector-borne andneglected tropicaldiseases

Tuberculosis
Lead:
Tauhid Islam
Room: Ha Long

Lead: Rabindra
Abeyasinghe
Room: Da Nang

15:00
15:45

Day 2 Seminar – WHO CC Policy (12:45 – 13:30)
Ballroom 1, 2, 3

HIV/AIDS,
hepatitis andsexual transmitted
infection

Noncommunicabl
e diseases andTobacco Free
Initiative

Lead:
Naoko Ishikawa
Room: Hue

Lead: Warrick
Junsuk Kim
Room:
Ballroom 1

Disability andrehabilitation

Health and theenvironment

Traditional
medicine

Lead:
Darryl Barrett
Room: Hoi An

Lead:
Rok Ho Kim
Room: VIP 4

Lead:Yu Lee Park
Room: Saigon and
Da LatIntegrated service
delivery andhuman resources
for healthLeads:
Indrajit Hazarika
and Ogochukwu
Chukwujekwu
Room: Mekong

Health promotion
and nutrition

Mental health andsubstance abuse

Leads:
Riitta-Maija
Hämäläinen
andJuliawati Untoro
Room:Ballroom 2
Access to
medicines &healthtechnologies,
strengthening
regulatory
capacity and blood
services

Lead: Martin
Vandendyck
Room:
Ballroom 3

Leads: Socorro
Escalante andNittita PrasopaPlaizier
Room: VIP 3
Break – Pre-function area

Closing session – Ballroom 1, 2, 3•••

Poster awards
Key highlights and way forward
Closing remarks - Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific15

Health systems,
information &evidence andNational healthpolicies, strategies
and plans
Lead: Gao Jun
Room: VIP 2

Reproductive,
maternal,
neonatal, childand adolescenthealthLead:
Howard Sobel
Room:
Ballroom 3
Health security
and food safety
Leads: Peter
Hoejskov andMasaya Kato
Room: VIP 5

Library andPublications(Strategic
communications)
Lead:
Chandani Thapa
Room: Hanoi

16ANNEX 2A. List of participants* Collaborating centres that submitted a poster
Reference
number
AUS-45

AUS-59

AUS-60

AUS-61*AUS-70*AUS-72

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participantsNational Serology Reference
Laboratory (NRL), St Vincent’s
Institute of Medical Research

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Diagnostics and Laboratory
Support for HIV/AIDS andOther Blood-borne Infections
WHO Collaborating Centre for
the Prevention of Blindness

Dr Philippa Hetzel

The Centre for Eye Research Australia(CERA), Royal Victorian Eye and Ear
Hospital
School of Life Sciences, Queensland
University of Technology
Gender and Women’s Health Unit,
Centre for Health Equity, School of
Population and Global Health,
University of Melbourne
Queensland Mycobacterium
Reference Laboratory (QMRL),
Pathology Queensland Central
Laboratory at Royal Brisbane
Hospital
Department of Microbiology, The
Prince of Wales Hospital*AUS-78

Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin
University

AUS-79Clinical Policy and Research Division,
Drug and Alcohol Services South
Australia (DASSA)
Global Obesity Centre at the Centre
for Population Health Research,
Faculty of Health, Deakin University
Discipline of Chinese Medicine,
School of Health and Biomedical
Sciences, RMIT University
Centre for International Child Health,
University of Melbourne

AUS-80

AUS-86*AUS-87*AUS-89

Albion Street Centre*AUS-91

Influenza Reference Laboratory,
Victorian Infectious Diseases
Reference Laboratory (VIDRL)
Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and
Health, University of Technology,
Sydney (UTS)
School of Nursing, Midwifery andNutrition, James Cook University*AUS-93

AUS-9817

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Arbovirus Reference andResearch
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Women’s Health

Dr Andreas Mueller

Professor John Aaskov

Dr Meghan Bohren,
Dr Cathy Vaughan

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Tuberculosis Bacteriology

Dr Sushil Pandey

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Sexually Transmitted
Infections and Antimicrobial
Resistance
WHO Collaborating Centre forEnvironmental Health Impact
Assessment
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research in the Treatment ofDrug and Alcohol Problems
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Obesity Prevention

Professor Monica Lahra

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Dr Anthony Zhang

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training inChild and Neonatal Health
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Capacity Building on HIV andSTI Care, Treatment andSupportWHO Collaborating Centre for
Reference and Research on
Influenza
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Nursing, Midwifery and
Health Development
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Nursing and Midwifery
Education and Research
Capacity Building

Dr Shidan Tosif

Dr Helen Brown

Dr Mike McDonough

Professor Colin Bell

Ms Katherine CooteDr Tracey Mills

Dr Ian Barr

Ms Michele Rumsey

Professor Caryn West

Reference
number*AUS-107

AUS-109

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participants

Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition
and Exercise and the Prevention
Research Collaboration, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Sydney
Disaster Research Centre, Flinders
University

WHO Collaborating Centre forPhysical Activity, Nutrition
and Obesity

Professor Timothy Paul Gill

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Mass Gatherings and Global
Health Security
WHO Collaborating Centre forPopulation Salt Reduction

Professor Paul Arbon*AUS-110

The Food Policy Division, The
George Institute for Global Health*AUS-113

Faculty of Health Sciences, University
of Sydney

AUS-117

Victorian Health Promotion
Foundation (VicHealth)*AUS-121

Research and Molecular
Development, Epidemiology, andVirology, Victorian Infectious
Diseases Reference Laboratory(VIDRL)
Asia Pacific Centre for Work, Healthand Safety, University of South
Australia
Health Systems Improvement Unit,
Centre for Population HealthResearch, School of Health and Social
Development, Faculty of Health,
Deakin University
Noncommunicable Disease Control
Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Schoolof Population and Global Health,
University of Melbourne
College of Public Health, Medical and
Veterinary Sciences, Division of
Tropical Health and Medicine, James
Cook University
Public Health Interventions ResearchGroup, Kirby Institute, University of
New South Wales
General Practice Unit, School of
Public Health and Community
Medicine, University of New South
Wales
Australian Health Practitioner
Regulation Agency

AUS-122*AUS-128*AUS-130

AUS-131

AUS-133*AUS-135

AUS-137*CHN-11

Guangdong Provincial Cardiovascular
Institute*CHN-24

China National Center for Food Safety
Risk Assessment (CFSA)*CHN-32

Institute of Acupuncture andMoxibustion, China Academy ofChinese Medical Sciences

18

Dr Jacqui Webster

WHO Collaborating Centre forStrengthening Rehabilitation
Capacity in Health Systems
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Leadership in Health
Promotion
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Viral Hepatitis

Professor Gwynnyth
Llewellyn

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Occupational HealthProfessor Maureen Dollard

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Literacy

Professor Richard Osborne

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Implementation Research forPrevention and Control of
Noncommunicable Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Vectorborne and Neglected
Tropical Diseases

Professor Brian Oldenburg

WHO Collaborating Centre forTrachoma

Dr Susana Vaz Nery

WHO Collaborating Centre for
eHealthProfessor Siaw-Teng Liaw

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Workforce Regulation

Mr Nicholas Lord

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training in
Cardiovascular Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre forFood Contamination
Monitoring

Dr Feng Yingqing
Dr Liu Xiaoqing

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Dr Zhao Hong
Professor Jing Xianghong

Ms Jerril Rechter

Ms Suellen Nicholson,
Ms Laura Thomas
Cowie, Benjamin Professor

Professor Peter Leggat

Ms Zhou Rui
Dr Zhou Shuang
Professor Wu YongningReference
number*CHN-33*CHN-34

CHN-35*CHN-47

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participants

Shanghai University of Traditional
Chinese Medicine

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Mr Li Chengmin
Ms Yuan Man
Professor Xu Hong

Institute of Chinese Materia Medica,
China Academy of Chinese Medical
Sciences
Institute of Clinical Research andInformation, China Academy ofChinese Medical Sciences
Nanjing Child Mental HealthResearch Centre

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Professor Chen Shilin
Ms Li Jin

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Mrs Zhang Zijun

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training inChild Mental Health
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Rehabilitation

Professor Ke, Xiaoyan
Dr Chu Kangkang*CHN-50

Department of Rehabilitation
Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University of
Medical Sciences*CHN-52

Capital Institute of Paediatrics

WHO Collaborating Centre forChild Health

Mrs Zhang Shuyi
Mr Li Tao

*CHN-55

Shanghai Blood Centre

WHO Collaborating Centre forBlood Transfusion Services

Professor Zhu Yongming*CHN-56

Sichuan Family Planning ResearchInstitute, Chengdu University ofTraditional Chinese Medicine

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research in Human
Reproduction

Ms Wang Hanbing
Professor Xin Liang
Professor Zhang Qinxiu*CHN-57

Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic
Tumor Research Institute, National
Center for TB Control and Clinical
Medicine, Chinese Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (China CDC)
Hunan Institute of Parasitic Diseases

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training on
Tuberculosis

Dr Liu Yuhong

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Schistosomiasis Control in
Lake Regions

Professor Hou Xunya
Professor Luo Zhihong
Dr Zhang Yueyun

Department of Rehabilitation
Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji
Medical College
Chinese Academy of Medical
Sciences, Institute of Medical
Information
National Research Institute for Family
Planning

WHO Collaborating Centre forTraining and Research in
Rehabilitation
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health and Biomedical
Information
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research in Human
Reproduction
WHO Collaborating Centre for
the Community Control of
Hereditary Diseases

Dr Lu Min

*CHN-58*CHN-60*CHN-62

CHN-63

CHN-64

Institute of Basic Medical Sciences,
Chinese Academy of Medical
Sciences (CAMS)*CHN-71

Mental Health Institute, Central South
University*CHN-74

Women’s and Children’s HealthCentre, Peking University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Psychosocial Factors,
Substance Abuse and Health
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training in
Women’s and Children’s
Health19

Professor Huang Dong-Feng
Professor Wai Leung
Ambrose Lo

Ms Wang Kaiyi
Mr Fang An
Dr Mao Qunxia
Ms Lyu Yanhong
Professor Liu Yaping
Professor Huang Shangzhi
Professor Xiang Xiao Jun

Ms Zhang Xiaosong
Assistant Professor Wang
XueyinReference
number
CHN-75

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participantsNational Center for Sexually
Transmitted Diseases (STD) Control,
Institute of Dermatology, Chinese
Academy of Medical Sciences andPeking Union Medical College
Guangdong Provincial Center for
Disease Control and Prevention

WHO Collaborating Centre for
the Prevention and Control of
Sexually Transmitted
Infections

Dr Chen Xiangsheng

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Surveillance, Research andTraining of Emerging
Infectious Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Human Resources for Health

Dr Song Tie
Dr Luo Haiming

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Rehabilitation

Mr King Kong Peter Poon
Mr Wang Wei

National Key Lab of HealthTechnology Assessment, Fudan
University
School of Nursing, Faculty of Healthand Social Sciences, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University (HKPU)WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Technology
Assessment and Management
WHO Collaborating Centre forCommunity Health Services

Professor Chen Yingyao*CHN-91

Centre for Food Safety, Food andEnvironmental Hygiene Department*CHN-92

STD/AIDS Centre for Treatment andCare, Beijing Ditan Hospital*CHN-94

Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliatedwith Capital Medical University,
Beijing Institute of
Otorhinolaryngology
Office of the Shanghai Municipal
Health Promotion Committee

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Risk Analysis of Chemicals in
Food
WHO Collaborating Centre forComprehensive Managementof HIV Treatment and Care
WHO Collaborating Centre forPrevention of Deafness

Dr Han Demin
Ms Qi Beier

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Healthy Urbanization

Ms Zhao Rong
Mr Wu Xiaoyu

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training in
Mental Health
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Vector Surveillance andManagement

Dr Ma Ning

*CHN-77*CHN-81*CHN-83*CHN-86*CHN-89

CHN-102*CHN-110*CHN-114*CHN-115*CHN-118*CHN-119*CHN-120

Health Human Resources
Development Center (HHRDC),
National Health Commission, China
The Hong Kong Society for
Rehabilitation

Department of Public Mental Health,Peking University Institute of Mental
HealthDepartment of Vector Biology andControl, National Institute forCommunicable Disease Control andPrevention, Chinese Center for
Disease Control and Prevention(China CDC)
Chinese Medicine Division,
Department of Health, Hong Kong
SAR
Health Publishing Research andDevelopment Center, People’s
Medical Publishing House
School of International Trade andEconomics, University ofInternational Business and Economics
School of Public Health, The
University of Hong Kong

20

Ms Zhang Yun
Ms Li Xiaoyan

Dr Timothy Boon-wee Sim
Professor Alex Molasiotis

Dr Yuk Yin Philip Ho
Dr Chi Cheung Henry Ng
Dr Zhang Yongli
Dr Wang Linghang

Professor Liu Qiyong
Dr Liu Xiaobo

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Dr Wong Wai Ying

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Information andPublishing
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Tobacco and Economics

Ms Ji Fang
Ms Zhang Chenyu

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Infectious Disease
Epidemiology and Control

Professor Benjamin Cowling

Dr Zheng Rong

Reference
number
CHN-123

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participants

Jiading Primary Health Care Centre

WHO Collaborating Centre forPrimary Health Care

Dr Zhong Peisong
Dr Deng Senmiao*CHN-125

China National Health Development
Research Center

Dr Wang Yunping*CHN-127

China National Health Development
Research Center

WHO Collaborating Centre forClassifications, Terminologies
and Standards
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Systems Strengthening*CHN-129

School of Nursing, Peking Union
Medical College

Professor Li Huaping
Ms Ma Weiguang*CHN-130

Institute of Parasitic Diseases (IPD),
Chinese Center for Disease Control
and Prevention (China CDC)
Health Bureau, Macao SAR
Government

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Nursing Policy-Making andLeadership
WHO Collaborating Centre forTropical Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Dr Choi Peng Cheong
Mr Ng Kuok Leong

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Tobacco Cessation andRespiratory Diseases
Prevention
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training on
Malaria Elimination
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Guideline Implementation andKnowledge Translation
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Promotion and
Education
WHO Collaborating Centre forStandardization and
Evaluation of Biologicals
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Reference, Research andTraining on Tuberculosis
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Systems Development

Dr Xiao Dan*CHN-131*CHN-133*CHN-136

Tobacco Medicine and Tobacco
Cessation Centre, Institute of
Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan
Friendship Hospital
Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases*CHN-137

Evidence Based Medicine Center,
Lanzhou University

CHN-138

Chinese Centre for Health Education,
National Health Commission, China*JPN-28

Department of Quality Assurance andRadiological Protection, National
Institute of Infectious Diseases
Research Institute of Tuberculosis(RIT)

JPN-38

Ms Wang Rongrong

Dr Guan Yayi

Professor Gao Qi
Dr Cao Jun
Professor Chen Yaolong

Dr Huang Xianggang
Dr Hou Xiaohui
Dr Koji Ishii
Dr Yuko Kumagai
Dr Seiya Kato

*JPN-45

Bureau of International Health
Cooperation, National Center for
Global Health and Medicine (NCGM)*JPN-46

Oriental Medicine Research Centre(OMRC), Kitasato University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Professor Hiroshi Odaguchi*JPN-49

National Institute for Minamata
DiseaseDr Megumi Yamamoto*JPN-50

Department on International Healthand Collaboration, National Instituteof Public Health (NIPH)
Department of Environmental Health,
Water Supply and Management
Section, National Institute of Public
Health (NIPH)
Institute of Industrial Ecological
Sciences, University of Occupational
and Environmental Health (UOEH)WHO Collaborating Centre forStudies on the Health Effects
of Mercury Compounds
WHO Collaborating Centre forIntegrated People-Centred
Service Delivery
WHO Collaborating Centre forCommunity Water Supply andSanitation*JPN-51*JPN-53

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Occupational Health21

Dr Eiji Hinoshita
Dr Norihiro Kokudo
Dr Noriko Fujita,
Dr Hidechika Akashi

Dr Tomofumi Sone

Dr Dai Shimazaki

Dr Yasuo Morimoto
Dr Odgerel Chimed-OchirReference
number*JPN-54*JPN-56*JPN-57

JPN-58*JPN-61*JPN-64*JPN-67*JPN-68*JPN-70

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participants

Department of Japanese Oriental
Medicine, Graduate School of
Medicine and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Toyama

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Professor Yutaka Shimada
Dr Hidetoshi Watari

Diabetes Center, Kyoto Medical
Center, National Hospital
Organization
Kurihama Medical and Addiction
Center, National Hospital
Organization
People-Centered Care Research
Department, Research Center, St.
Luke’s International University
Osaka Medical Centre and ResearchInstitute for Maternal and Child
HealthInfluenza Virus Research Center,
National Institute of Infectious
Diseases
Department of Virology, Institute forTropical Medicine, Nagasaki
University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Diabetes Treatment and
Education
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training on
Alcohol-Related Problems
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Nursing Development inPrimary Health Care
WHO Collaborating Centre forMaternal and Child Health

Dr Shigeo Kono

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Reference and Research on
Influenza
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Reference and Research on
Tropical and Emerging Viral
Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research on RadiationInduced Thyroid Diseases andSurgical Treatment ofRadiation Injuries
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Disability Prevention andRehabilitation
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Healthy Cities and Urban
Policy Research

Dr Shinji Watanabe

Department of International Healthand Radiation, Department of
Molecular Biology, Atomic Bomb
Disease Institute, Nagasaki University
School of Medicine
National Rehabilitation Centre for
Persons with Disabilities

Dr Sachio Matsushita
Dr Takanobu Matsuzaki
Dr Katharina Da Silva Lopes

Dr Kimiko Ueda

Dr Meng Ling Moi
Professor Kouichi Morita

Professor Noboru Takamura

Dr Yoshiko Tobimatsu*JPN-73

International Health Graduate School,
Tokyo Medical and Dental University*JPN-75

Department of Oral Health Science,
Division of Preventive Dentistry,Niigata University Graduate School of
Medical and Dental Sciences
International Centre for Research
Promotion and Informatics, National
Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (JNIOSH)
University of Hyogo, ResearchInstitute of Nursing Care for People
and Community

WHO Collaborating Centre forTranslation of Oral Health
Science

Professor Hiroshi Ogawa

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Occupational Health

Dr Toru Yoshikawa
Dr Rina So
Dr Ken Tokizawa

WHO Collaborating Centre forDisaster Risk Management for
HealthProfessor Sonoe Mashino
Professor Maki Umeda*JPN-78

Center for Global Studies on Culture
and Society, Nihon University

Dr Ilja Musulin
Professor Rikiya Matsukura*JPN-79

Research Center for Radiation
Emergency Medicine, National
Institute of Radiological Sciences,
National Institutes for Quantum andRadiological Science and Technology

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training inPopulation, Reproductive
Health and Development
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Radiation Emergency
Medicine*JPN-76*JPN-77

22

Professor Keiko Nakamura
Dr Kaoruko Seino

Dr Masashi Sagara

Reference
number*JPN-83*JPN-87*JPN-88*JPN-89*JPN-90*JPN-91*JPN-92*JPN-93*JPN-94*JPN-95*JPN-96

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participants

Department of Respiratory Medicine,
Dokkyo Medical University
Koshigaya Hospital
Research Centre for Zoonosis Control,
Hokkaido University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
the Prevention and Control ofChronic Respiratory Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Zoonosis Control

Professor Hironori Sagara
Mr Clyde Ito

Unit for International Collaboration on
Nutrition and Physical Activity,
National Institute of Health andNutrition, National Institutes ofBiomedical Innovation, Health andNutrition
Centre for Research and Training on
Interprofessional Education, Gunma
University
Department of Environmental Health,National Institute of Public Health(NIPH)
Centre for Environmental and Health
Sciences, Hokkaido University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Nutrition and Physical Activity

Dr Nobuo Nishi

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training on
Interprofessional Education
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Tobacco Testing and Research

Professor Akinori Kama
Professor Hideomi Watanabe

WHO Collaborating Centre forEnvironmental Health andPrevention of Chemical
Hazards
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training in
Suicide Prevention

Dr Machiko Minatoya
Professor Reiko Kishi
Dr Atsuko Araki

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Virus Reference and Research(Enteroviruses)
WHO Collaborating Centre forPrevention, Preparedness andResponse to Emerging
Infectious Diseases

Dr Hiroyuki Shimizu

Dr Masahiro Ishikane

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Chronic Hepatitis and Liver
CancerTakeshi Terashima
Professor Shuichi Kaneko
Dr Tatsuya Yamashita

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Radiation Disaster
Preparedness, Response andRecovery
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Arbovirus Reference andResearch (Dengue/Severe
Dengue)WHO Collaborating Centre for
Ecology, Taxonomy andControl of Vectors of Malaria,
Filariasis and Dengue
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Systems Research andQuality Improvement
WHO Collaborating Centre forRegulatory Control of
Pharmaceuticals

Professor Koichi Tanigawa

Japan Support Center for Suicide
Countermeasures, National Institute of
Mental Health, National Center of
Neurology and Psychiatry
Department of Virology II, National
Institute of Infectious Diseases
Disease Control and Prevention
Center, National Center for Global
Health and Medicine Hospital,
National Center for Global Health andMedicine (NCGM)
Department of Internal Medicine/
Hepatology and Gastroenterology,
Kanazawa University Hospital,
Kanazawa University
Fukushima Global Medical Science
Center, Fukushima Medical
University*MAA-12Tropical Infectious Diseases Researchand Education Centre (TIDREC),
University of Malaya*MAA-13Division of Medical Entomology,
Institute for Medical Research*MAA-14

Institute for Health Systems Research,
Ministry of Health

MAA-15National Pharmaceutical Control
Bureau (NPCB), Ministry of Health23

Dr Norikazu Isoda
Professor Hiroshi Kida
Professor Sawa Hirofumi

Dr Yohei Inaba

Dr Yutaka Motohashi
Dr Kaneko Yoshihiro
Ms Sayaka Yoshino

Professor Sazaly AbuBakar

Dr Rohani Ahmad
Wan Mohamad Ali, Wan
Najdah Mrs
Dr Nor Izzah Dr HJ Ahmad
ShaukiMs Nurulfajar Mohd JamidReference
number*MAA-16

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participantsNational Poison Centre, Science
University of Malaysia (Universiti
Sains Malaysia)

WHO Collaborating Centre forDrug Information

NEZ-15

Pacific Paramedical Training Centre*NEZ-16Department of Human Nutrition,
University of Otago

WHO Collaborating Centre forExternal Quality Assessment
in Health Laboratory Services
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Human Nutrition

Professor Dato’ Mohamed
Isa Abdul Majid
Ms Lucie Chuah
Mr Halilol Rahman
Mohamad Khan
Mr Philip Wakem*PHL-13

College of Nursing, University of thePhilippines Manila

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Leadership in Nursing
Development

Professor Luz Barbara Dones
Professor Sheila Bonito

KOR-9

Catholic Industrial Medical Centre(CIMC), The Catholic University of
Korea
College of Nursing, Yonsei University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Occupational HealthProfessor Jung Wan Koo

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Research and Training for
Nursing Development inPrimary Health Care
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Dr Sue Kim*KOR-16*KOR-17

East-West Medical Research Institute,
Kyung Hee University*KOR-19

Department of Preventive Medicine,College of Medicine, Yonsei
University
National Cancer Center (NCC)

Dr Lisa Houghton
Dr Rachel Brown

Professor Seong-Gyu Ko

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Systems Research

Ms So Yeon Oh
Professor Sung-In Jang

WHO Collaborating Centre forCancer Control and Prevention
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Occupational Health

Dr Dae Yong Kim
Ms Ji Hye Baek
Mr Donglee Yang

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Dr Ji-Eun Park
Ms Harim Seo

National Institute of Food and Drug
Safety Evaluation (NIFDSE), Ministryof Food and Drug Safety
Department of Medical Law andEthics, The Asian Institute of
Bioethics and Health Law (AIBHL),
Yonsei University

WHO Collaborationg Centre
for Standardization&Evaluation of Biologicals
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Law and Bioethics

Dr Kwangmoon Lee
Dr Si Hyung Yoo

KOR-97

Environmental Health Research
Department, National Institute ofEnvironmental Research

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Vulnerable Population andEnvironment Health

Ms Sihyun Nam
Mrs Suejin Kim
Dr Seung Do Yu

KOR-99College of Medicine Library, Seoul
National University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Information andLibrary Services

Dr Kyung Ae Hwang
Dr Eun Sun Park

KOR-100

Korean Red Cross Blood Service,
Korean Red Cross
Research Institute for Healthy Cities
and Health Impact Assessment,
Soonchunhyang University
JW Lee Center for Global Medicine,College of Medicine, Seoul National

WHO Collaborating Centre forBlood Transfusion Safety
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Healthy Cities and Health in
All Policies
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Educational Development

Ms Eun Hye Kim
Dr Myung Han Kim
Dr Won Jhang
Professor Yoon Hyung Park

KOR-84
KOR-86

KOR-89
KOR-90

KOR-96*KOR-101

KOR-102

Occupational Health Department,
Korea Occuaptional Safety and HealthAgency (KOSHA)
Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine

24

Dr Sook Sang Beck
Ms Hyo Jung Sea
Mr Hajun Jung

Professor Jwa-Seop Shin

Reference
numberName of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Name of participants

Department of PsychiatricRehabilitation and Community,
Yongin Mental Hospital
Research Institute for
Hospice/Palliative Care, College ofNursing, The Catholic University of
Korea
Division of Rehabilitation and Health,National Rehabilitation Center

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Psychosocial Rehabilitation
and Community Mental Health
WHO Collaborating Centre forTraining in Hospice andPalliative Care

Dr Seongsu Kim
Ms Suk Hee Lee
Ms Min Hee Park
Dr Gyungjoo Lee
Professor Jinsun(Sr.
Julianna) Yong

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Rehabilitation

Blood Services Group, Health
Sciences Authority
Food Laboratory, Health Sciences
Authority

WHO Collaborating Centre forTransfusion Medicine
WHO Collaborating Centre forFood Contamination
Monitoring
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Promotion and Disease
Prevention
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Medicines Quality Assurance

Dr Wanho Kim
Dr Unjoo Kim
Ms Jiin Kim
Dr Hwee Huang Tan

University*KOR-103*KOR-104*KOR-105

SIN-16*SIN-17*SIN-21

Health Promotion Board (HPB)

SIN-25

Pharmaceutical Division, Applied
Sciences Group, Health Sciences
Authority
Environmental Health Institute,
National Environment Agency*SIN-26

SIN-28*VTN-3*VTN-4

Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong
Loo Lin School of Medicine, National
University of Singapore
National Institute of Occupational andEnvironmental Health (NIOEH)

National Hospital of Traditional
Medicine25

Ms Sheot Harn Chan

Ms Yi Ling Lee
Mr Isaac Yee
Ms Min Yong Yee

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Reference and Research of
Arbovirus and their AssociatedVectors
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Bioethics

Ms Li Xiaoxi
Dr Christina Liew

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Occupational Health

Dr Nguyen Diep
Dr Doan Hai Ngoc
Ms Nguyen Huyen Trang

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

Ms Doan Chi
Professor Nguyen Thuan
Professor Vu Nam

Dr Wai Loon Calvin Ho

26

ANNEX 2B. List of secretariat
Name

Role

Dr Shin Young-soo

Regional Director

Dr Takeshi Kasai

Director, Programme Management

Mr Jeffery Kobza

Director, Administration and Finance

Dr Tauhid Islam

Acting Director, Communicable Diseases

Dr Peter Cowley

Acting Director, Health Systems

Dr Hai-rim Shin

Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Health through the Life-Course

Dr Li Ailan

Regional Emergency Director, WHO Health Emergencies

Dr Liu Yunguo

WHO Representative to Cambodia

Dr Ying-Ru Lo

WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore

Dr Corinne Capuano

WHO Representative to the South Pacific andDirector, Pacific Technical Support

Dr Kidong Park

WHO Representative to Viet Nam

Dr Angela Pratt

Executive Officer, Regional Director’s Office

Dr Graham Harrison

Executive Officer, Country Support Unit

Dr Yu Lee Park

Acting Coordinator, Integrated Service Delivery

Dr Rabindra Romauld
Abeyasinghe

Coordinator, Malaria, Other Vectorborne and Parasitic Diseases

Dr Naoko Ishikawa

Coordinator, HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Dr Socorro Escalante

Coordinator, Essential Medicines and Health Technologies

Dr Gao Jun

Coordinator, Health Intelligence and Innovation

Dr Rok Ho Kim

Coordinator, Health and the Environment

Dr Howard Sobel

Coordinator, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health

Ms Glenda Gonzales

Technical Officer, Tropical Disease Research and Laboratory QA

Dr Aya Yajima

Technical Officer, Neglected Tropical Diseases and Programme Integration

Dr Ogochukwu Chukwujekwu

Technical Officer, Integrated Service Delivery

Dr Indrajit Hazarika

Technical Officer, Health Workforce Policy

Ms Nittita Prasopa-Plaizier

Technical Officer, Education and Capacity Development

Ms Mary Ann Gamilla

Administrative Officer, Fellowships and Collaborating Centre Management

Dr Darryl Barrett

Technical Lead, Disabilities and Rehabilitation

Ms Riitta-Maija Hämäläinen

Technical Officer, Health Promotion

Dr Warrick Junsuk Kim

Medical Officer, Noncommunicable Diseases Management and Surveillance

27

Name

Role

Dr Juliawati Untoro

Technical Lead, Nutrition

Dr Martin Vandendyck

Technical Lead, Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Dr Masaya Kato

Programme Area Manager, Country Health Emergency Preparedness andInternational Health Regulation

Mr Peter Hoejskov

Technical Officer, Food Safety

Dr Rodel Nodora

Technical Officer, Collaboration, Partnership and Reform

Ms Chandani Thapa

Technical Lead, Information Products and Services

Ms Kwak Minjoo

Programme Management Officer, Noncommunicable Diseases and Healththrough the Life-Course

Ms Laura Davison

Programme Management Officer, Country Support Unit

Ms Minh Ly Nguyen

Administrative Services Officer

Ms Tatiana Titova
Mr Fabio Di Cera Paternostro

Technical Officer, WHO Collaborating Centres Team,WHO Headquarters
External Relations Officer, Partnership and Non-State Actors,
WHO Headquarters

Ms Laila Bunoan

Senior Administrative Assistant, Integrated Service Delivery

Ms Arlene Garcia-Esplana

Administrative Assistant, Regional Director’s Office

Ms Jennifer Eleccion

Assistant, Country Support Unit

Ms Ruby Dela Pena

Administrative Assistant, Travel

Mr Efren Bernardo

Informatics Assistant

Ms Jacqueline Castro

Assistant, Travel

Ms Maria Riza Conales

Assistant, Travel

Mr Ricky Escuadra

Assistant Technician, Meeting Support Services

Mr Jose de Guzman

Assistant, Meeting Support Services

Nguyen Thi Hong Van

Administrative Assistant, Viet Nam Country Office

Dam Nhan Ai

Assistant, Viet Nam Country Office

Hoang Kim Ngan

Secretary, Viet Nam Country Office

Ms Thu Thuy Nguyen

Assistant, Viet Nam Country OfficeNguyen Thi Huong Giang

Assistant, Viet Nam Country Office28

ANNEX 3. Summary of outcomes of breakout sessions 3 and 7
3.1 Technical breakout sessions (3 and 7)
A. Communicable diseases
A1. Tuberculosis / HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections
Facilitators: Dr Tauhid Islam and Dr Naoko Ishikawa
Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:• The Regional Forum facilitated close collaborations with WHO and across collaborating centres,
which resulted in more collaborative activities at regional and country levels.
• Challenges include resource mobilizations for collaborating centres activities, complication/unfriendly
web systems to submit annual report and redesignations.

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:• Capacity development at country level as well as identification/mobilization of resources.
• Understanding country needs and taking approaches to Influence country policy, including the
involvement of stakeholders at country level.
• Application and use of mobile phone networks to supplement weak infrastructure at country level.
• Tailor-made country support based on each country’s capacities and needs: fact sheet on country
priorities / reader-friendly version for collaborating centres.
• Regular planning and monitoring of activities to be jointly conducted by WHO and collaborating
centre (and with other WHO CCs where possible) e.g. joint mission.
• Clear guidance, suggestions, plans and coordination from WHO that reflect country needs andreflect areas of cross-cutting work with other programmes and collaborating centres e.g. aformation of ‘virtual situation room’ where country issues can be discussed and coordinated(involving WHO at country and regional levels, different technical areas and different
collaborating centres working in that country).

A2. Malaria, other vector-borne and neglected tropical diseases
Facilitators: Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, Dr Aya Yajima and Dr Glenda Gonzalez
Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:• WHO CCs work beyond their terms of reference and endeavour to reach as many Member Statesin the Western Pacific Region and other WHO Regions.
• Collaborating centres have discussed how they could work collaboratively with each other toenhance country support.

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:• Strengthening surveillance and laboratory diagnostic capacity, particularly at sub-national level,
which continue to be a challenge

29

•
•

Identify additional resources and more innovative actions (e.g. collaborations between centres) toaddress challenges.
Identify strengths and capacity of each collaborating centres and explore how to complement eachother’s work.

B. Health Systems
B1. Access to medicines & health technologies, strengthening regulatory capacity and blood services
Facilitators: Dr Socorro Escalante and Ms Nittita Prasopa-Plaizier
Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:
•

•

•

•
•

Collaboration has been established between and among collaborating centres – such as
collaboration with national reference laboratories for inter-laboratory quality assessment, sharingof knowledge and expertise through international symposium, meetings or web-based platforms.
Collaborating centres have requested WHO to create more opportunities and/or platforms forcollaboration to support countries and implement regional agenda. Examples of these platforms
would be pooling of experts to contribute to the standardization of pharmaceutical testings;
regional platform for sharing vigilance reports and regulatory actions.
Country support has been well established in current terms of reference and workplans of thecollaborating centres, for examples, support to countries on strengthening of national regulatory
systems, improving laboratory capacity, improving blood safety, providing support to countries in
improving pharmaceutical policies and evidenced-based selection process for medicines.
Current activities of collaborating centres are directly linked to the strategic directions of WHO
and the GPW13.
Challenges included many priorities and limited resources.

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:
•

•
•

•

•

Develop or adapt guidance, guidelines and reference standards - examples guidance or guidelines
for health technology assessment (HTA), for health interventions and diagnostics, for antibiotic
stewardship programme; reference standards for test methods or biological standardization.
Generate evidence and knowledge – economic and social impact evaluation, joint evaluations ofpriority services or products.
Education, training, capacity building – e.g. workshops on health technology assessment, advocacy
through fora and meetings; training on drug quality assurance, monitoring of adverse effects suchas (VigilanceSingapore).
Strengthen collaboration for sharing of knowledge and expertise – e.g. sharing expertise fordeveloping reference standards, resources for quality control for blood products, blood transfusion
practices.
Contribution to support low and middle-income countries – e.g. support to Pacific countries.

B2. Health systems, information & evidence and National health policies, strategies and plans
Facilitators: Dr Gao Jun

30

Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:• Optimising support to countries requires collaborating centres to better understand the needs ofcountries and WHO to better understand the potential of collaboration centres.
• Link the proposed contributions of collaborating centres to country’s context and needs.

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:• WHO and collaborating centres should regularly communicate to facilitate better understanding ofcountry needs and context; WHO focal person regularly visit the collaborating centres to exchange
ideas.
• Collaborating centres should regularly join technical meetings on specific fields• WHO should have knowledge of collaborating centres potential and ability - develop a list ofexpertise of collaborating centres.
• Where possible, build up joint team of WHO both regional and country offices, collaborating
centres and country partners to better link with country needs and context• Promote collaboration among collaborating centres within and across countries using combined
approach, including web-based community of practice, email exchange, face-to-face meetings etc..

B3. Integrated Service Delivery and human resources for healthFacilitators: Dr Indrajit Hazarika and Dr Ogochukwu Chukwujekwu
Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:•••

Regular communication between and among collaborating centres and responsible officers.
Discussions and progress on joint collaborative work between and among collaborating centres e.g. joint research in Advance Practice Nurses in Western Pacific Region, joint capacity workshops
on nursing leadership, interprofessional education, partnerships on quality and safety networks.
Better alignment of collaborating centres ‘terms of reference’ with country-level priorities

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:• Continued efforts to improve communication and collaboration between and among WHO CCs.
• Better access to information regarding the broader work and capacities of each institution
designated as a WHO CCs.
• More information sharing regarding WHO’s strategic direction and priorities.
• Strengthen health workforce regulation via the Western Pacific Region Network of Regulators
including in-country support.
• Support to improve quality and safety of health services via the collaborative networks andcapacity building.
• Support on strengthening health professional education reforms.
• Strengthen primary health care via support on design of service delivery models as well as thehealth workforce component.

31

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Support to on-going activities such as advocacy for Nursing Now! Campaign, data collection anddissemination of the State of the World Nursing and State of the Midwifery Reports.
Improve collaboration between WHO and collaborating centres for effective country support
through regular communication and joint collaboration between and among collaborating centres.
Make available more information on agenda items of the Regional Committee sessions and role ofcollaborating centres in contributing to their development and implementation.
Collaborate to jointly organize workshops to build capacity for countries in the region in library,publications management and dissemination.
Build capacity in the region around digital dissemination; learn among collaborating centres new
digital techniques of dissemination.
Through collaborating centres website, to promote national and regional networking amongcollaborating centres.
Collaborate to better communicate the impact of the work of collaborating centres.

B. 4 Traditional medicine
Facilitator: Dr Yu Lee Park
Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:••

More active communication and engagement between WHO and collaborating centres to share
updates and explore collaborative activities through various channels including e-mails,
teleconferences, physical visits and participation in relevant WHO meetings. Many collaborating
centres participated in relevant WHO meetings based on their expertise and terms of references.
Efforts were made to align collaborating centres activities with priorities of the traditional
medicine programme in the Western Pacific Region. For instance, the program for the 7th Joint
Symposium-WHO Collaborating Centres for Traditional Medicine, held on 1 November 2018 inSeoul, Republic of Korea, was developed in close collaboration between WHO and theparticipating collaborating centres.

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:
•

•
•
•
•
•

•

Priorities identified at the Technical Consultation on Medium-Term Agenda on Traditional
Medicine for Universal Health Coverage in the Western Pacific Region held in Manila, Philippines
on 28-29 June 2018 were shared with collaborating centres for traditional medicine.
Key collaborative areas were identified as the following:
Strengthening regulation for traditional medicine;
Improving monitoring system for traditional medicine; andImproving evidence-based traditional medicine practice.
Discussions on maximizing collaborating centres contribution WHO’s support to Member Statesin advancing UHC through appropriate integration of traditional medicine in the national healthsystems.
There was agreement on the next actions to improve strategic collaboration as follows:

32

•

•

•

Improve efficient information sharing –led by a collaborating centre, to develop regular
newsletters to update WHO and collaborating centres on key achievements and issues and toorganize teleconferences between WHO and collaborating centres as needed.
Develop a report on regulatory status of traditional and complementary medicine practitioners andto develop a set of indicators for traditional and complementary medicine in the coming years.
These will be part of future collaboration among collaborating centres.
WHO will closely communicate with collaborating centres to provide information and updates
regarding country situations and needs to develop country-tailored training programmes and otherrelevant activities.

C. Noncommunicable diseases and health through the life-course(Tobacco Free Initiative; Nutrition; Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health; Health andthe Environment; Disabilities and Rehabilitation)
Key messages and highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:
•
•
•

•
•
•

There’s a need to strengthen the linkages between WHO Regional office and country offices andcollaborating centres, recognising the coordination role mechanism of the regional office.
To support countries better, WHO Collaborating centres could provide a “menu of strengths”
based on their individual situations linked to WHO workplans and country support plans.
Issues for consideration include approaches for dealing with different needs of countries and how
to obtain resources to support activities – lobbying government for direct support to collaborating
centres, funding through other mechanisms outside direct support to WHO or research grants.
Mechanisms for supporting countries may include considering collaborating centres as ‘technicalarm’ of the technical unit and make joint efforts for fund raising or resource mobilization.
Improve internal collaboration e.g. within and between technical units when considering acollaborating centre for in-country work
Encourage collaborating centres to consider how they can ‘together’ offer support to countries

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:
•

•
•
•

•

Enhance bilateral communication between collaborating centres and WHO, including throughannual visits to institutions for better coordination of joint in-country activities to support on
tobacco free initiative work.
Build a Regional health promotion online community focusing on multisectoral cooperation indifferent topics and settings.
Improve information and expertise sharing between and across collaborating centres and WHO on
nutrition related work e.g. websites.
Translate collaborating centres activities into mental health services at community level.
Collaborating centres on mental health and substance abuse will provide ongoing technical support
to countries, developing innovative partnerships, and matching country needs and priorities withspecific technical expertise, in order to ensure service coverage.
WHO to bridge evidence with policies on health and environment to prioritize countries.

33

•
•
•

Link within and across countries and across WHO levels to provide a platform to work effectively
on maternal and child health and adolescent health.
Provide a “menu of strengths” based on countries needs and situations, linked to WHO workplans
and country support plans on disabilities and rehabilitation.
Proactively share information with collaborating centres - on country activities, on country needs,on relevant links or websites about WHO country information; using various tools, including an
Email list (e.g. list serve), annual meetings etc.

D. Health security and food safety
Facilitators: Mr Peter Sousa Hoejskov and Dr Masaya Kato
Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:•••

Strong engagement of collaborating centres in regional framework development andimplementation monitoring.
Enhanced needs-based country support through training and technical assistance.
Improved communication and coordination of activities between Collaborating Centres and WHO
Secretariat.

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:Effective country support requires WHO and collaborating centres to:••••

Respond to country priorities and needs in line with WHO’s strategic direction;
Provide technical support and strategic guidance in a timely manner;
Understand the local context and use an appropriate approach for capacity strengthening; andRecognize the strengths of respective CC and informally communicate and coordinate country
support.

Potential ways to improve collaboration between Collaborating Centres and WHO Secretariat for effective
country support include:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Identification of strengths of individual CCs and review TORs and workplans to better address
country needs.
Enhanced engagement of WHO CCs for the joint consultative planning and implementation ofcountry tailored health security and food safety activities.
Utilization of real world emergency events as opportunities and learning for enhanced
collaboration between CCs and WHO Secretariat.
Strengthening of informal communication and interaction between CCs and WHO Responsible
Officers including participation in regional and international meetings and events.
Joint provision of country support in line with regional frameworks and country support plans.
monitoring of country-based collaborative efforts and after action reviews for continuous
improvement of collaboration between CCs and WHO Secretariat.

34

•

Joint advocacy and mobilization of resources for country support activities in line with country
needs and priorities.

E. Library and Publications (Strategic communications)
Facilitator: Ms Chandani Thapa
Highlights of progress and lessons since the second Regional Forum in 2016:
•
•

•
•

Regular communication between WHO and collaborating centres
Discussion and progress on joint collaborative work between and among collaborating centres, forexample the joint contributions to the upcoming Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal
Editors Convention (APAME) conference in Beijing 2019.
Better understanding of country priorities and alignment of work.
Although together collaborating centres and WHO do good work that has a positive impact on theregion, there are still few countries and institutions know about the work. More efforts to better
communicate the impact of the will be needed.

Priority areas for strategic collaboration and actions to enhance collaboration for effective country
support:•••

Provide health-related information that supports public health outcomes. Their work cross-cuts
through all sectors and regions and the more efficient, up-to-date and regionally relevant, the better
they can support public health knowledge transfer and uptake.
Identify synergy and shared interest and work together across the regions and in-country to achieve
more than just their terms of references; to learn from each others’ experiences and promote
forums and platforms to be better able to support countries.
Collaborating centres based in Beijing contribute significantly to the WHO-supported Western
Pacific Region Index Medicus (WPRIM) and the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal
Editors Convention. There will be discussing about joint projects with Seoul National University.

35

36

ANNEX 4. Field visits: summary of key discussions

1. Cho Ray Hospital - Emergency Department, Infection Prevention and Control Department•••

This is a big urban hospital with 1, 800 beds and about 5,200 patients per day (out-patients and inpatient admissions).
Key discussions centred around expertise and challenges associated with the management of theabove departments, procedures for patient management, emergency and disaster management,
autonomous funding arrangements for the functioning of the hospital.
The discussions enabled the participants (collaborating centres) to understand challenges faced by
WHO in supporting Member States. The authorities in the hospital were appreciative of theopportunity to meet WHOCC participants.

2. Children’s hospital #2 - Outpatient clinic, Newborn Care unit and Neonatal Care unit••

This is one of the biggest paediatric hospitals in the southern region of Viet Nam with 150 years ofhistory, 6,000 outpatients, 1,500 inpatients and 100 surgeries every day. The hospital also provides
training for other provinces on neonatal and newborn care. Major challenges faced by the hospital
included a lack of well-trained doctors and nurses, technical difficulties in dealing with patientswith varying socio-economic status, level of knowledge and age, and high patient –doctor ratios.
One of the solutions being implemented to address the challenges is to actively receive exchangesof doctors and medical students from other countries, such as Japan, USA and European countries.
This helps enhance knowledge exchange, supplement human resources gap and provides anopportunity for health professionals or students from other countries to learn about real situation in
hospitals in low-resource setting.

3. Co Giang Commune Health Station••

This commune health station is under District 1 Health Center. It covers the area of 0.39km2 ,serving 14, 500 population. There are seven staff, including 1 doctor and 1 nurse. Key healthissues in the area included NCDs, communicable diseases (dengue, hand foot and mouth disease –HFMD), TB, HIV, mental health and food safety. Key services focus on primary health care,preventive medicine programmes (Expanded Programme on Immunization, maternal and childhealth, disease surveillance etc.), health examinations, rehabilitation, health promotion, andoutbreak response.
Health workforce is a major challenge. There is only one doctor covering many programmes. It isdifficult to attract doctors to work at commune level. Other challenges include limited supplies of
medicines. Low use of medical equipment and policies are inadequate to support work at thecommune level. Potential areas that collaborating centres can support are the development ofhealth workforce, with a focus on primary health care, help explore innovation to improve accessto medicines or other essential health products at the primary care level as well as support capacity
for policy development.

37

4. District 1 Health Center - Vaccination Unit, Maternal Care, Mother & Child Nutrition, Family
Planning Unit, Laboratory/examination rooms and medical imaging)••

The District 1 Health Center provides a variety of services, which located in 4 separate buildings.
Due to limited time, the field visit focused on services in one building. Participants were interested
in overall health system in Viet Nam, including health insurance coverage, health professionals
workforce etc. The discussions also covered how the services, coverage and the family medicine
principles would be affected once the District Health Center is merged with the District Hospital in2019.
It might be difficult for the participants (collaborating centres) to work at district level as they arehighly specialized in specific technical areas. Some collaborating centres may be able to provide
support to build capacities of human resources for health.

5. Pasteur institute - National Influenza Centre and Enterovirus Lab•

Brief introduction of the institution by the host in a conference room. The main functions of theinstitute include: outbreak investigation, research, training and international collaboration.
Summary of recent infectious diseases outbreaks and surveillance systems (electronic
communicable disease surveillance system – eCDS) in Viet Nam were presented.
The institution requested support from WHO CCs on training and capacity development, including
collaborative research (e.g. development of diagnostics).
The institution is interested in becoming a WHO collaborating centre in the future. Dr Ailan
provided a brief guidance on the process (of becoming a WHO collaborating centre).
Capacity development of young professionals from the institution was discussed and a few
approaches were suggested by WHO.

6. University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City - Center for Molecular Biomedicine•

Discussions focused on implementation challenges, such as implementation challenges of
education reform. WHO CCs were encouraged to identify opportunities for collaboration indifferent ways or target groups, such as student exchanges, faculty development and policymakers.

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ANNEX 5A. Awarded collaborating centres
For Recognition of Distinguished Forum Posters
Reference
numberCHN-32Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China
Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional
Medicine

Department of Vector Biology and Control, National
Institute for Communicable Disease Control andPrevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control andPrevention (China CDC)
Health Publishing Research and Development Center,
People’s Medical Publishing HouseWHO Collaborating Centre for Vector
Surveillance and Management

JPN-87

Research Centre for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido
University

WHO Collaborating Centre for Zoonosis
Control

MAA-14

Institute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of
Health

WHO Collaborating Centre for Health
Systems Research and Quality Improvement

CHN-114

CHN-118

WHO Collaborating Centre for Health
Information and Publishing

For Recognition of Effective Collaboration
Reference
number
CHN-117

Name of Institution

Title of Collaborating Centre

Institute for Biological Product Control (IBPC),
National Institutes for Food and Drug Control(NIFDC)WHO Collaborating Centre forStandardization and Evaluation of
Biologicals

JPN-28Department of Quality Assurance and RadiologicalProtection, National Institute of Infectious Diseases

KOR-90National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation(NIFDSE), Ministry of Food and Drug Safety(MFDS)WHO Collaborating Centre forStandardization and Evaluation of
Biologicals
WHO Collaborationg Centre forStandardization and Evaluation of
Biologicals

Special Regional Director Award
SIN-26

Environmental Health Institute, National Environment
Agency39

WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference andResearch of Arbovirus and their AssociatedVectors

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ANNEX 5B. Collaborating centres receiving plaques(First time participation in the Regional Forum)
Reference
Number
AUS-70
AUS-122
AUS-128

Full institution name

WHO Collaborating Centre title

Queensland Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory(QMRL), Pathology Queensland Central Laboratory at
Royal Brisbane Hospital
Asia Pacific Centre for Work, Health and Safety,
University of South Australia
Health Systems Improvement Unit, Centre forPopulation Health Research, School of Health and Social
Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Tuberculosis Bacteriology
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Occupational Health
WHO Collaborating Centre for Health
Literacy
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Implementation Research for Prevention
and Control of Noncommunicable
Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Vectorborne and Neglected Tropical
Diseases

AUS-130

Noncommunicable Disease Control Unit, Centre for
Health Equity, School of Population and Global Health,
University of Melbourne

AUS-131

College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary
Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine,James Cook University

AUS-133

Public Health Interventions Research Group, Kirby
Institute, University of New South Wales

WHO Collaborating Centre for Trachoma

AUS-135

General Practice Unit, School of Public Health andCommunity Medicine, University of New South Wales

WHO Collaborating Centre for eHealth

AUS-137

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

WHO Collaborating Centre for Health
Workforce Regulation

CHN-11

Guangdong Provincial Cardiovascular Institute

WHO Collaborating Centre for Research
and Training in Cardiovascular Diseases

CHN-32
CHN-35
CHN-57

Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China
Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
Institute of Clinical Research and Information, China
Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(China CDC)

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine
WHO Collaborating Centre for Research
and Training on Tuberculosis
WHO Collaborating Centre forCommunity Control of Hereditary
Diseases
WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy
Urbanization
WHO Collaborating Centre forClassifications, Terminologies andStandards
WHO Collaborating Centre for Health
Systems Strengthening
WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing
Policy-Making and Leadership

CHN-64

Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academyof Medical Sciences (CAMS)

CHN-102

Office of the Shanghai Municipal Health Promotion
Committee

CHN-125

China National Health Development Research Center

CHN-127

China National Health Development Research Center

CHN-129

School of Nursing, Peking Union Medical College

CHN-130

Institute of Parasitic Diseases (IPD), Chinese Center for
Disease Control and Prevention(China CDC)

WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical
Diseases

CHN-131

Health Bureau, Macao SAR Government

WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

41

Reference
NumberFull institution name

WHO Collaborating Centre title

CHN-133

Tobacco Medicine and Tobacco Cessation Centre,
Institute of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan
Friendship Hospital

CHN-137

Evidence Based Medicine Center, Lanzhou University

WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco
Cessation and Respiratory Diseases
Prevention
WHO Collaborating Centre for Guideline
Implementation and Knowledge
Translation
WHO Collaborating Centre for Virus
Reference and Research (Enteroviruses)

JPN-93
JPN-95

Department of Virology II, National Institute of
Infectious Diseases
Department of Internal Medicine/ Hepatology and
Gastroenterology, Kanazawa University Hospital,
Kanazawa University

JPN-96

Fukushima Global Medical Science Center, Fukushima
Medical University

KOR-103

Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation andCommunity, Yongin Mental Hospital

KOR-105

Division of Rehabilitation and Health, National
Rehabilitation Center

VTN-4

National Hospital of Traditional Medicine

42

WHO Collaborating Centre for Chronic
Hepatitis and Liver Cancer
WHO Collaborating Centre for Radiation
Disaster Preparedness, Response andRecovery
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Psychosocial Rehabilitation andCommunity Mental Health
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Rehabilitation
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Traditional Medicine

ANNEX 6. Outcome Statement of the Third Regional Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres in theWestern Pacific, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 22–23 November 2018
The Third WHO Regional Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific brought together
240 people from 140 collaborating centres across ten countries, in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam on 22-23
November 2018.
The Forum reaffirmed the critical role of collaborating centres in making an impact at the country level.
Partnership is essential to WHO’s work in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals and the three
central goals of WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work.
Achieving results at the country can only be possible if support is driven by country needs and priorities
with a good understanding of the political, socio-cultural and economic context of each country. Utilizing
effective partnerships, networks and multisectoral collaboration is vital.
The Forum notes that there has been significant progress since the First Forum in 2014:•••

WHO and collaborating centres now work together more effectively, better understanding eachother’s needs and operating more like an extended family
Collaborating centres have developed close relationships with each other and found benefit inworking together across the region. The Forum learned from the exemplary work of Japan and theRepublic of Korea and the networks their collaborating centres have formed.
More collaborating centres are now involved in providing support at the country level.

The Forum recognizes that progress in health for the attainment of the SDGs requires a multisectoral,
whole-of-society approach at the country level, which requires going outside of traditional ways ofworking.
Through informative sessions such as field visits and country specific sessions, the Third Forum enabled
better understanding of countries and their contexts. As a result, the Forum agreed to:a. Strengthen information sharing between WHO and collaborating centres to better understand country
context and needs;b. Improve coordination to align collaborating centre activities with country priorities and WHO’s
strategies and frameworks in order to maximize impact at country level;c. Further develop ways of working together, such as the establishment and leverage of technicalnetworks at the country and regional level, in order to strengthen knowledge and resource sharing andsynergies;
d. Share progress and good practices, and better communicate the value of WHO and collaborating centre
partnerships; ande. Reconvene in 2020 to review the outcomes of the partnership of WHO and WHO collaborating centresconsistent with the identified priorities.

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www.wpro.who.int