30 September 2024, Aden, Yemen – Countries such as Yemen, identified as fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable, struggle to respond effectively to emergencies. Policy planning is particularly challenging amid a volatile security situation and with unstable financing mechanisms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) are working to address these gaps through integrating the core emergency preparedness and response functions of national public health institutes (NPHIs) into Yemen’s public health system.

NPHIs are government agencies/networks which offer independent scientific evidence for policy and action by consolidating, analyzing and communicating data to decision-makers, practitioners and the public. Their core functions include: evaluation and analysis of health status; public health surveillance, problem investigation and control of risks and threats to public health; reducing the impact of emergencies and disasters on health; human resources and training and research.

In May 2024, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, in collaboration with WHO Yemen Country Office, WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence and the Public Health Agency of Sweden, hosted a workshop to assess the need for a national public health institute in Yemen. Key stakeholders, including representatives from the MoPHP, European Union and the Swedish Embassy, drafted plans to establish an agency as part of the institutional structure of the public health system. The ongoing stakeholder consultative workshops will now build on the work of earlier sessions to decide the next steps, including setting focus areas, governance, mission, vision and mandate of the institute.

“A national mandated entity with the capacity to implement best practices in public health surveillance, response and prevention is vital to address health threats and safeguard national, regional and global health security,” said WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Yemen Dr Arturo Pesigan.

“In resource-limited and conflict-affected settings like Yemen, there is an absence of national health research, policies and practices. Yet a flexible health system capable of responding to emergencies relies on research grounded in timely and reliable data.”

The health care system in Yemen is inadequately regulated and coordinated and relies heavily on humanitarian and private sector stakeholders. Funding comes primarily from international donors and is channeled through various health care providers and programmes

Since the start of the conflict, Yemen has been classified as a level 3 graded emergency, with basic social services, including health care, significantly disrupted. Only half of Yemen’s health facilities operate at full capacity. Limited access to health care services has led to deteriorating health outcomes, including child malnutrition, low immunization rates and outbreaks of communicable diseases.

Institutional strengthening and investments in a robust public health system are crucial for prevention and preparedness and to ensure rapid response to surging health care needs. Not only will this curb morbidity and mortality rates, it also reduces the burden on the health care system, saving time and resources.