The UN World Health Organization (WHO) convened the historic first Global Forum of Collaborating Centres, bringing together representatives from more than 800 institutions across over 80 countries.
The meeting, one of the world’s largest and most diverse public health networks, highlighted emerging health threats in today’s fragmented world.
In a statement, WHO noted that scientists at the forum discussed challenges that demand urgent action while also creating opportunities to mobilize efforts toward better health solutions.
The Forum concluded Thursday with renewed commitment across the network, moving beyond rigid scientific projects toward dynamic, integrated partnerships.
Rooted in one of WHO’s core functions, the Collaborating Centres (CCs) network has strengthened the organization’s scientific foundation since its earliest years.
In 1949, the Second World Health Assembly affirmed that WHO should advance health research not by creating its own institutions, but by coordinating, supporting, and leveraging existing expertise worldwide.
Over the past 77 years, the WHO CC network has expanded to include many of the world’s leading public health, academic, research, and technical institutions.
According to WHO, the network remains a powerful asset – strengthening global norms and standards, supporting innovation and collaborative research, building capacity, and turning scientific knowledge into life-saving action worldwide.
“WHO’s network of collaborating centres is an immensely valuable but under-utilized resource for global health,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus.
“It brings together the world’s leading institutions to translate evidence into action, support countries, strengthen health systems, and protect populations. Collaborating centres are a powerful demonstration of international cooperation and what it means to stand with science.”
The Global Forum leverages momentum from the international One Health Summit, which unites leaders across human, animal, and environmental health disciplines. It is also a central event of the World Health Day 2026 campaign under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science.”
“Science is at the heart of everything we do to protect and improve health,” said WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Sylvie Briand. “The global network of WHO collaborating centres represents an extraordinary concentration of scientific expertise and public health leadership. Together, they form a powerful force for knowledge, innovation, and action. At a time of growing global health challenges, this trusted scientific collaboration is not only valuable – it is indispensable to protecting lives and shaping a healthier future for all.”
WHO is also expanding its global community of CCs to confront emerging health threats with greater strength and unity. A key initiative is the creation of the Collaborative Open Research Consortia (CORC) – networks of leading research institutions that bring together thousands of scientists worldwide. Their mission: to accelerate development of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for Disease X, the unknown pathogen that could spark the next pandemic.
By joining forces, these networks aim to build the scientific readiness the world will rely on when that moment comes.
Forum participants emphasized that strong international cooperation remains essential, especially amid reductions in global health financing. Coordinated responses, collective investment, and collaboration are critical to prevent local health crises from becoming global emergencies.
WHO announced that the next Global Forum will be held in 2027 to further strengthen this historic collaborative platform.
