In February 2026, global health experts gathered in Cairo for the Emergency-Ready Primary Health Care (ERPHC) Global Expert Consultation convened by the World Health Organization. The two-day meeting brought together specialists from international organizations, research institutes, and partner institutions to validate a framework designed to address a critical challenge in global health: ensuring that primary health care systems are prepared before the next emergency arrives.
Miriam Chickering, CEO of the Frank Foundation, participated in the consultation as part of ongoing collaborations between the organization and the World Health Organization on health systems preparedness initiatives.
Why Emergency-Ready Primary Health Care Matters
Primary health care is often the first point of contact between communities and the health system. It is where early signs of outbreaks can be detected, where trust between communities and health workers is built, and where timely action can determine whether a local health threat is contained or becomes a wider crisis.
Health emergencies rarely affect only one part of a system. An effective response requires several functions to operate together. Surveillance systems must detect emerging threats; health workers must be protected from infection; communities must receive accurate information; and clinical services must continue treating patients safely.
The ERPHC framework was designed to integrate these components into a single approach. Instead of treating surveillance, infection prevention, community engagement, and clinical care as separate programs, the framework recognizes that in real emergencies, they must work together.
For frontline health workers, this integration is essential. During an outbreak, there is no time to pause and switch between disconnected systems. Preparedness must already be built into the everyday operation of health services.
Early Evidence from Pilot Countries
Early results suggest the approach is promising. Pilot data from more than 650 health facilities in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda show substantial improvements in readiness.
According to findings published in BMJ Global Health, facility preparedness scores increased from 55 percent to 90 percent. These results illustrate how coordinated strengthening of primary health care systems can significantly improve a country’s ability to detect and respond to epidemics.
These improvements reflect progress across several areas of the health system, including infection prevention, surveillance capacity, clinical care, and engagement with communities.
The findings are documented in the study “Progress in Epidemic Ready Primary Health Care: Early Pilot Results from Four African Countries,” published in BMJ Global Health.
https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/9/e019249
A Moment of Perspective
The discussions in Cairo took place beside the Nile River, a waterway that has carried civilizations, trade, and human history for thousands of years.
Working along its banks while discussing the future of health systems offered a moment of perspective. The scale of global health challenges can feel immense, yet progress often emerges from careful collaboration, thoughtful discussion, and the shared commitment of people working across countries and disciplines.
In a world where health crises increasingly cross borders and cascade rapidly across systems, preparedness must be built into the services that communities rely on every day.
Ensuring that primary health care systems are ready before the next emergency arrives is not simply a technical exercise. It is a commitment to protecting communities and strengthening the foundations of global health.