WHO Collaborating Centre for the Global Outbreak Alert and Response – GOARN

On 15 March 2019, the World Health Organization has designated the Information Centre for International Health Protection (INIG) at the Robert Koch Institute as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Global Outbreak Alert and Response – GOARN. In the next four years, INIG will work with national and international partners to support the WHO in identifying and addressing health threats worldwide.

The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) is a global partnership of more than 220 institutions from 75 countries that focuses on rapid disease outbreak detection and response. As the WHO Collaborating Center for Global Outbreak Alert and Response – GOARN, INIG has the following main areas of work:

• Support WHO in the development of "GOARN 2.0", with particular focus on assisting the development of evidence-based technical and operational guidance as well as SOPs for (i) rapid response capacities and (ii) outbreak response training.
• Support WHO’s activities in the context of GOARN through knowledge exchange, dissemination of information, and advocacy for the GOARN network and partners under WHO leadership.
• Support WHO activities to implement GOARN projects, including Go-Data and GOARN Knowledge platform, as appropriate.

The new WHO CC will contribute to the effective implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030). These include improving communication and resource mobilisation, indirect management and administration of emergency operations, and better coordination of operational partners.

Head of the WHO CC GOARN

Dr. Andreas Jansen, Head of the Information Centre for International Health Protection (INIG)

Dr. Basel Karo, MPH, PhD, Information Centre for International Health Protection (INIG)