In 2016, WHO Member States voted at the World Health Assembly to establish the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE), strengthening WHO’s central role in the global health emergencies’ architecture, including in relation to risk assessment.
WHO subsequently developed a standardized methodology for risk assessments, based on the Rapid Risk Assessment of Acute Public Health Events manual. To attain the highest possible level of objectivity, accuracy and reproducibility, the standardized RRA approach is applied by those conducting public health intelligence activities at WHO. This approach is used regardless of the source or origin of the public health risk or event.
The RRA approach applied by WHO is a systematic, continuous, collaborative and reiterative process of gathering and documenting information and characterizing the risk posed by a public health risk or event at national, regional and global levels. It shapes WHO’s advice on public health actions to manage and mitigate the impact of public health risks and events, including to prevent their international spread. The RRA approach is applied to large scale events that already or could potentially exceed the capacity of the country(ies)/territory(ies) facing the event to respond; to public health risks or events with actual or potential international implications; and to those requiring WHO operational support.
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The RRA approach is based on the technical expertise of WHO secretariat; local and global situational awareness; and information sharing requirements under IHR provisions. The outcome of the RRA is critical for WHO to tailor the operational support to specific national and local contexts and needs. One key outcome of the RRA is to advise the WHO Director-General on whether to convene an Emergency Committee, in accordance with IHR provisions, for consideration of the event as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). When the WHO Director-General convenes the meetings of an Emergency Committee, the RRA represents a key resource document for the Committee.
The outcomes of the RRA approach are summarized in event bulletins published on the secure Event Information Site for the National IHR Focal Points (EIS), and, when appropriate, on the public Disease Outbreak News (DON) web page.
WHO applies the RRA approach to single country, multi country, regional and global events. This webpage focuses on regional and global events that present notable international health risks. The outcomes of the WHO RRA published on this page are intended to promote transparency in the spirit of IHR provisions; to provide resources to national authorities facing similar or comparable situations; and to foster a shared risk assessment culture among States Parties, as well as regional and global entities contributing to preparedness for and response to health emergencies. The information presented on this page is shared in accordance with Article 11 of the IHR.
This is the second edition of the WHO internal guidance for conducting rapid risk assessments for acute public health events from any type of hazard. This product describes the procedure of conducting a rapid risk assessment using the ‘WHO Rapid Risk Assessment Template V.2.1’.
This is the WHO internal template for conducting rapid risk assessments, as described by the ‘WHO Rapid Risk Assessment Guidance v.2.1’.
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Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA)
Link to the PAHO Public Health Risk assessments and epidemiological alerts and updates released in order to provide information about the occurrence of international public health events which have implications or could have implications for the countries and territories of the Americas; as well as recommendations issued by the Pan American Health Organization.
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