Maldives took an important step towards strengthening national health security. Convened jointly by the Ministry of Health and the WHO Country Office for Maldives, with financial support from the WHO Programme Budget and the Pandemic Fund, and technical support from WHO SEARO, the national consultation workshop marked the start of the development of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).
The NAPHS will serve as the country's strategic framework for strengthening International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities over the next five years. As a costed and implementable plan, it aims to coordinate action across sectors, address priority gaps, and strengthen national preparedness while avoiding duplication of effort.
Built on evidence: the JEE 2024 findings
The workshop built on the findings of the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) conducted in September 2024, the most comprehensive assessment of Maldives' health security capacities to date. The JEE assessed 19 technical areas, including laboratory systems, surveillance, points of entry and emergency preparedness and response. Together with other health security assessments, these findings informed the strategic priorities and activities of the NAPHS.
In her opening remarks, WHO Representative to Maldives Ms Payden described the NAPHS as the country's overarching framework for strengthening health emergency preparedness and response over the next five years.
"This plan is about coordination, knowing what resources we have across all sectors, where the gaps are, how to fill them, and how to avoid duplication of effort. From seaports and airports to the Ministry of Finance and NDMA, every agency has a role." Ms Payden, WHO Representative to Maldives
Mr Ibrahim Ashraf, Deputy Director General of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), emphasized the importance of consultation in shaping how the country prepares for, prevents, detects and responds to public health threats over the coming years. He encouraged participants to engage openly, drawing on the perspectives of their respective ministries and agencies to ensure that the proposed actions are practical, achievable and nationally owned.
Mr Ashraf also highlighted the importance of workforce development, noting that a resilient health security system depends on a skilled workforce at every level. He further emphasized the need to mobilize both domestic resources and Pandemic Fund investments to support sustainable implementation.
A SIDS perspective on regional collaboration
Dr Maung Maung Htike, Technical Officer from WHO SEARO's Health Emergencies Programme, reinforced that the NAPHS is a country-owned plan, developed by national stakeholders to address national priorities.
"The NAPHS is a strategic investment for Maldives. If challenges arise during implementation, the plan has a built-in review mechanism. Each year we assess progress, identify barriers and revise the plan as needed. This ensures it remains a living document that responds to the country's evolving needs."- Dr Maung Maung Htike, Technical Officer, WHO SEARO Health Emergencies Programme
Dr Htike also highlighted opportunities for Maldives as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) to leverage regional collaboration through the WHO SEARO Strategic Roadmap on Health Security and Health Emergency Preparedness, rather than developing every specialized capacity domestically. This includes access to shared regional capacities, such as genomic sequencing, which may be more efficient and sustainable than establishing these services nationally.
He further underscored the importance of aligning the NAPHS with the 2024 amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005), including the establishment of a National IHR Authority to coordinate implementation of IHR core capacities across sectors.
Whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach
The consultation brought together more than 45 participants representing the health, finance, foreign affairs, environment, animal health, food and drug safety, national laboratories, points of entry, the National Disaster Management Authority, civil society organizations and development partners. WHO technical experts facilitated the discussions, provided methodological guidance and shared global best practices.
Through structured technical working groups, participants reviewed a consolidated NAPHS that combines a five-year strategic framework with a prioritized 24-month operational plan, enabling immediate implementation while laying the foundation for longer-term health security strengthening.
"Maldives has made commendable progress since the JEE 2024. The next step is to finalize and secure endorsement of a pragmatic and implementable NAPHS, supported by strong governance and accountability mechanisms." - Dr Reuben Samuel, Programme Area Manager, Country Health Emergency Preparedness and IHR, WHO SEARO
Speaking virtually on the second day of the workshop, Dr Reuben Samuel acknowledged recent progress in strengthening health security, including the Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), the review of the National Health Emergency Response Operations Plan (NHEROP), and strengthened civil-military collaboration. He also highlighted the importance of sustainable financing to strengthen multi-hazard preparedness and resilience, including for emergencies driven by climate-related risks.
Key outcomes
- Country-led, multi-year planning grounded in One Health and whole-of-government principles.
- Development of a five-year strategic action plan and a prioritized 24-month operational plan to address IHR core capacity gaps across 19 technical areas.
- Strengthened integration of human, animal, environmental, security and finance sectors within a coordinated national health security framework.
- Enhanced preparedness for outbreaks, pandemics, natural disasters and other public health emergencies through strengthened multi-sectoral coordination.
- Commitment to costing the 24-month operational plan to inform domestic resource allocation and partner investment.
Next steps
Over the coming weeks, technical working groups will validate priority activities, align resource requirements with national and subnational planning cycles, and establish coordination mechanisms for implementation and monitoring.
Following high-level endorsement, the NAPHS will move into implementation, including costing, resource mapping and resource mobilization. After-Action Reviews and simulation exercises will support continuous monitoring, helping to assess implementation, identify lessons learned and strengthen national preparedness over time.
The NAPHS represents an important milestone in strengthening health security in the Maldives. WHO remains committed to supporting the Government of Maldives and partners in building resilient systems that enable the country to prepare for, detect, respond to and recover from public health emergencies.