MapAction’s Standby Partnership Agreement with WHO: Revolutionizing Health Emergency Response
MapAction, the UK-based emergency response and disaster preparedness charity, has signed a Standby Partnership Agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO), which will allow the organization to have greater impact in health emergencies. This agreement will enable MapAction volunteers to be ready on standby to deploy to any health emergency operations at the request of WHO. This will help bring the organization’s unique data-driven approach to saving lives in even more health crises worldwide.
The Standby Partnership Agreement is a significant step towards streamlining and simplifying how MapAction can deploy to WHO emergency operations at short notice. The agreement states that MapAction will “maintain a roster of standby personnel….for the rapid mobilisation and deployment of pre-screened individuals…to WHO emergency operations.” This agreement will help the organization deploy faster and more efficiently alongside WHO teams in emergency operations.
MapAction has already lent data management, geospatial, and mapping support in 13 health-related emergency deployments worldwide since 2014. Teams of volunteers from the Oxfordshire-based charity were involved in providing support during the Ebola crisis in West Africa, as well as during the more recent COVID-19 pandemic. A team of MapAction volunteers is also currently working on a project to reduce the impacts of cholera in Malawi.
The WHO plays a crucial role in coordinating global health responses, and the partnership with MapAction is an important step towards enhancing the organization’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to health emergencies. The Standby Partnership Agreement will help the WHO to access MapAction’s expertise in data management, geospatial analysis, and mapping, which can be used to support the WHO’s response to health emergencies.
MapAction’s unique data-driven approach to emergency response has been instrumental in helping to save lives in past health emergencies. The organization has developed innovative tools and techniques for collecting, processing, and analyzing data in real-time, which can be used to provide critical information to emergency responders. MapAction’s volunteers have also been trained to use cutting-edge mapping technologies to create detailed maps that can be used to support decision-making during health emergencies.
The Standby Partnership Agreement between MapAction and WHO will provide surge support that will be relevant to WHO emergency operations. MapAction’s CEO Liz Hughes notes that this is an important step towards being able to deploy faster and more efficiently alongside WHO teams in emergency operations. The organization’s growing knowledge of health needs through its own work will also be invaluable in supporting the WHO’s response to health emergencies.
The partnership between MapAction and WHO is an example of how organizations can work together to enhance their ability to respond to health emergencies. By leveraging each other’s expertise, resources, and networks, organizations can develop more effective strategies for responding to health emergencies and saving lives. The Standby Partnership Agreement between MapAction and WHO is a significant step towards achieving this goal, and it is hoped that it will lead to more collaborative efforts in the future.
In conclusion, the Standby Partnership Agreement between MapAction and WHO is a significant step towards enhancing the organizations’ ability to respond quickly and effectively to health emergencies. The agreement will enable MapAction volunteers to be ready on standby to deploy to any health emergency operations at the request of WHO, which will help bring the organization’s unique data-driven approach to saving lives in even more health crises worldwide. The partnership between MapAction and WHO is an example of how organizations can work together to develop more effective strategies for responding to health emergencies and saving lives.
