United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are launching INITIATE², a joint project to bring together emergency actors, research and academic institutions, and international and national partners to promote knowledge sharing and skills transfer for improved emergency response to health crises.

INITIATE² will develop standardized, innovative solutions such as disease-specific field facilities and kits and test these solutions in real-life scenarios. The agencies will also train logistics and health responders on their installation and use, contributing to their capacity to respond in health crises.

The project will be developed and replicated in countries for relevant personnel, building on past experiences in emergency response.

Dr Ibrahima Soce-Fall, Assistant Director-General for Emergencies Response, WHO said, “With INITIATE², WFP and WHO are now extending the collaboration to build synergies among different actors and foster innovation in this critical field, to quickly respond to health emergencies and create a conducive environment for knowledge sharing and skills transfer. This is an excellent example of how we can scale and harmonize emergency preparedness, readiness, and response.”