Strengthening WHO collaboration with the air transport sector

WHO participated on 14 – 15 October 2024 at the Aviation Health Conference in Lisbon. This annual forum brings together airline medical personnel to discuss pressing public health and aerospace medical challenges.

WHO provided an overview of the targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005), which were adopted by the 77^th World Health Assembly in May – June 2024, and the ongoing joint work with its two key partners in the civil aviation sector: the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). WHO and ICAO signed in November 2022 a Memorandum of Understanding underscoring their commitment and cooperation in the area of public health emergency preparedness and response. Similarly, WHO has a joint work plan with IATA, which is a non-State actor in official relations with WHO, to advance joint health security interests.

The Aviation Health Conference provided a forum to present the progress made in this tripartite collaboration. Particular emphasis was put on the role of simulation exercises as a useful tool to strengthen intersectoral collaboration, review standard operating procedures, and ensure operational readiness among public health and civil aviation authorities, airline and airport personnel, and other relevant actors before an emergency occurs. Public health scenarios should be an integral component of simulation exercise programmes in the air transport sector to enable regular the testing of capacities and functionalities for the management of public health events.