Event highlights
From 25–28 February 2025, WHO/Europe and the WHO Country Office in Poland successfully conducted a national training programme aimed at enhancing Poland’s preparedness for health emergencies. This training, funded by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety EU4Health programme (DG Sante EU4H), focused on improving hospital resilience to emergencies, particularly in the face of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazards. It marked a key step in strengthening national health security as part of broader efforts to safeguard public health.
Participants were trained in the use of WHO’s Hospital Safety Index (HSI) tool, which is used to assess hospitals’ safety and vulnerabilities, make recommendations on necessary actions, and promote low-cost/high-impact measures for improving safety and strengthening emergency preparedness. It is designed to collect information about structural safety, non-structural safety and the disaster management capacities of a hospital. The highlight of the training was a hands-on exercise in which participants – medical staff, hospital managers and emergency response specialists – visited a hospital in Warsaw and practiced using the HSI tool in a real hospital setting. This practical experience allowed attendees to evaluate hospital safety, identify vulnerabilities and consider areas where the hospital could enhance its preparedness for emergency situations. It was an invaluable opportunity to translate theory into practice, strengthening participants’ ability to assess and manage hospital safety during high-risk events.
One of the key takeaways from the training was the recognition that the HSI tool would benefit from updates to include specific considerations for CBRN hazards. This feedback will play a crucial role in refining the tool, ensuring it addresses the complex challenges hospitals face when preparing for such emergencies.
WHO Representative for Poland Nino Berdzuli underscored that, for Poland, this training came at a critical time. “As we face an evolving landscape of health threats, from CBRN hazards to other emergencies,” she said, “this training underscores our commitment to building resilient hospitals that can protect and serve Poland’s communities under any circumstance. By equipping our health-care leaders with practical tools like the Hospital Safety Index, we are not just preparing for crises – we are shaping a future where safety and preparedness are the foundation of our health systems.”
Overall, the training was a major success, not only in strengthening Poland’s hospital preparedness but also in advancing broader regional efforts to improve health security across Europe. This initiative will continue to shape Poland’s efforts to bolster hospital safety and emergency preparedness, contributing to more resilient health-care systems in the face of future crises.
Event notice
Health security is at a critical juncture, with health emergencies in the WHO European Region having doubled in the past decade. Resurgent epidemics continue to threaten millions of lives, and the likelihood of zoonosis-driven pandemics is forecasted to triple. Climate change, antimicrobial resistance and conflict further heighten the risks. As the Region marks the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the need to bolster health security is more pressing than ever, acknowledging its centrality to economic stability and social cohesion.
On 25–28 February 2025, WHO/Europe, together with the WHO Country Office in Poland, will convene a national training to strengthen Poland’s capacity to assess hospital safety and resilience against emergencies, with a special emphasis on hazards related to chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear (CBRN) events. This training, which takes place under Poland’s European Union presidency, reflects a strong focus on enhancing health security as an essential element of national security.
Participants will include medical and management staff from large hospitals, specialists in critical hospital systems, and other specialists involved in emergency medical services and crisis-management. They will engage in training sessions covering the application of the Hospital Safety Index tool, which assesses hospitals’ safety and vulnerabilities, provides recommendations for necessary actions, and promotes low-cost/high-impact measures for improving safety and emergency preparedness.
To further reinforce health systems’ resilience, the participants will also pilot in Poland a hospital preparedness checklist for CBRN hazards, which evaluates hospital safety in the face of these threats. This tool is based on key principles such as triage, decontamination and patient management. The training will include a practical component, allowing participants to apply the tools in a real hospital environment, enhancing readiness for future crises.
This training is in line with the initiative of the WHO Country Office of Poland to strengthen hospital safety and emergency preparedness across the country, ultimately improving the availability of and access to health care during times of crisis, especially radio-nuclear hazards. It comes as part of WHO/Europe’s priority to strengthen hospital safety across the European Region and forms part of a series of activities to improve the preparedness of health facilities for emergencies.