The Minister of Health and Medical Services, Honourable Dr Paul Bosawai, co-hosted a side event meeting on Global Health Emergency Corps in Geneva, Switzerland over the weekend, 17th May 2025.
The Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) is an Initiative supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that aims to enhance countries capacities to respond to health emergencies such as the recent worldwide pandemic (COVID 19).
Honourable Minister co-hosted the side event meeting given the country’s strong transformative steps that were undertaken to strengthen the country’s health emergency capacities between 2024 and 2025. The transformative steps that were undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services with the support of WHO included:
• Submitting the country’s States Party Annual Report for assessment of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Capabilities
• Participating in regional simulation exercises to strengthen the IHR National Focal Point Function
• Completing of the Solomon Islands’ first Joint External Evaluation (JEE)
• Conducting a national risk profiling and emergency workforce mapping exercise including health, environment, security and justice
• Initiating discussion on the development of a multi-sectoral costed National Action Plan for Health Security
• Participating at the regional efforts through Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF), a platform to support regional cooperation, shared learning and approaches to workforce strengthening
Speaking at the event which was co-organised by Solomon Islands, Minister of Health Hon Dr Paul Bosawai highlighted that ”as one of the world’s most disaster prone nations situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire and vulnerable to both natural hazards and disaster outbreaks, Solomon Islands knows first -hand the importance of having a ready, capable and connected emergency workforce. Together through initiatives like GHEC, Global Outbreak Alert and Research Network (GOARN), Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) and the APHSAF we can build more coherent and collaborative approach to health emergency preparedness”
Health Minister Bosawai further emphasised that resilience is not built overnight, it is through investment in people and systems. The next disaster will not wait for perfect conditions, hence the collaboration with global partners, international cooperation and ensuring that health financing is secured and prepositioned.
The side event meeting was attended by the Minister of Health, Hon Dr Paul Bosawai and the Head of Emergency Department, National Referral Hospital, Dr Trina Sale.
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