Enhancing Health Emergency response through Civil-Military collaboration in Maldives

The ‘Civil-Military Workshop on Health Emergency Preparedness’, held from 18-19 June 2025, marked a significant step in strengthening the Maldives' health response capacity. Organized by WHO in collaboration with Health Protection Agency, this workshop aimed to enhance the country’s International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities, integrating lessons learned from past health emergencies, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic.

The workshop underscored the crucial role of seamless coordination between civil and military entities, especially in an island nation like the Maldives. The pandemic revealed the gaps in coordination and highlighted how military assets, such as logistics, personnel, infrastructure, and specialized medical expertise; are indispensable in responding to health crises. This was especially apparent in the Maldives’ pandemic response, where the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) and Maldives Police Service (MPS) played critical roles in ensuring effective health emergency operations.
 

These organizations' unique capabilities, including their extensive reach across the islands, were acknowledged as vital for logistics, transportation, security, and public information dissemination during crises. The workshop focused on building these strengths into a more systematic, integrated approach to health emergency preparedness. Participants learned to use tools like the Civil-Military Health Security Mapping (CMAP) to identify areas for improvement and strengthen future collaborations.

The workshop was a collective effort to develop a clear, unified roadmap for civil-military cooperation, ensuring faster and more effective responses to future health emergencies. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Maldives in this endeavor, recognizing the importance of having military and civil entities work seamlessly together to safeguard public health.

The participation of key representatives from the Maldives National Defense Force, Maldives Police Service, and the Ministry of Health significantly contributed to the workshop's success. WHO Representative Ms Payden expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the participants and experts from WHO Headquarters and the South-East Asia Regional Office for their unwavering dedication and support in ensuring the workshop’s fruitful outcome.

This workshop has laid the foundation for stronger collaboration and coordination, ensuring that, in the face of future emergencies, the Maldives will be equipped with a seamless and rapid-response framework to safeguard public health. By transforming the lessons learned from COVID-19 into concrete, integrated action, WHO is providing essential support towards strengthening the country's IHR capacities but also building a resilient health system. 

This article is first published at WHO Maldives website on Enhancing Health Emergency response through Civil-Military collaboration in Maldives

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