WHO, member States discuss expanding South-East Asia emergency health fund
New Delhi, July 2
With climate-related disasters, disease outbreaks and other health emergencies becoming more frequent and complex across South-East Asia, WHO and Member States today discussed measures to strengthen and expand the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund to ensure countries have rapid access to life-saving support when crises strike.
"Health emergencies are becoming more frequent, more complex and more costly. Countries need rapid, flexible financing that can be mobilized immediately when lives are at risk. SEARHEF represents regional solidarity in action, enabling Member States to support one another when emergencies strike," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge WHO South-East Asia Region. She was addressing the Fifteenth Meeting of the Working Group on the Governance of SEARHEF.
Established in 2008 following the Indian Ocean tsunami, SEARHEF has become the Region's flagship emergency financing mechanism. Since its inception, the Fund has supported 51 emergencies across 10 Member States, disbursing more than US$ 8.2 million for emergency response while strengthening preparedness through investments in emergency operations centres, rapid response teams and regional emergency stockpiles.
At the Working Group meeting, convened virtually by the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, Member States and WHO reviewed the Fund's progress and discussed the SEARHEF Resource Mobilisation Strategy, which aims to strengthen sustainable financing to ensure timely support for health emergencies across the Region. These included broadening the donor base by enhancing engagement with philanthropic organisations, development partners and the private sector, as well as mobilising in-kind contributions by leveraging the Region's manufacturing, logistics and technical expertise.
The Working Group's recommendations will be further considered at the Seventy-ninth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in September this year.
Strengthening SEARHEF is part of WHO and Member States' ongoing efforts to reinforce regional health emergency preparedness and ensure countries have access to timely financial and operational support to respond swiftly during a crisis to protect and save lives.
The South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) is WHO's regional emergency financing mechanism that provides rapid, flexible funding to support Member States during health emergencies. Established in 2008, the Fund supports both emergency response and preparedness and is governed by Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region.
— ANI
Reader Comments
SEARHEF has been around since 2008—over a decade of proven results. $8.2 million for 51 emergencies shows the fund is lean but effective. I hope they can expand with more donors, maybe even tap into private sector innovation in India's thriving health-tech ecosystem.
Finally, regional solidarity in action! 🙏 We saw during COVID how fast money can make a difference. But I hope they also focus on mental health support—disasters don't just break bones, they break spirits too. Let's make the fund holistic.
Interesting how WHO is pushing this despite budget constraints globally. The resource mobilisation strategy sounds promising but we need to ensure in-kind contributions (like India's vaccine manufacturing) don't just benefit the rich nations first. Equity is key.
As someone from Kerala, I know how fast a flood can happen. SEARHEF helped us after the 2018 floods, but the money reached late. Now they're talking about "rapid access"—hope that's not just a slogan. Let's see if the September meeting delivers real speed.
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