World Health Organization Maldives in collaboration with the Health Protection Agency, Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare, supported a two-day Multisource Collaborative Surveillance (MSCS) workshop to strengthen the Maldives' capacity for early detection, risk assessment and coordinated response to public health threats. Supported through the Pandemic Fund, the workshop brought together representatives from the public and private health sectors, local councils and key partners to identify practical measures for strengthening national disease surveillance systems.
Building on the findings of the Maldives' 2024 Joint External Evaluation (JEE), which identified priority areas for strengthening health emergency preparedness, the workshop focused on translating existing surveillance gaps into actionable recommendations. Participants engaged in scenario-based exercises covering dengue, influenza and Disease X, an unknown respiratory pathogen, to assess the country's capacity to detect, investigate and respond to different public health threats.
The exercises highlighted opportunities to strengthen communication between island-level healthcare facilities and central laboratories, improve the integration of private sector health data into national surveillance systems, enhance the use of vector control and environmental data in risk assessments, and establish clearer alert and escalation protocols. The discussions also recognized existing strengths, including established clinical protocols, experienced health professionals and interagency coordination mechanisms.
The workshop resulted in three key outputs: a validated surveillance gap analysis, a training needs assessment identifying priority competencies and resource requirements, and an operational coordination framework to strengthen routine information-sharing, multisectoral collaboration and decision-making. These outputs will inform the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), including costing, resource mobilization and implementation priorities.
Utilizing the Pandemic Fund, WHO continues to support the Maldives in advancing several complementary initiatives to strengthen surveillance and outbreak preparedness. These include stakeholder mapping to assess existing reporting and data-sharing mechanisms, technical guidance on prioritizing digital health information systems. An exposure visit to The Republic of India is under discussion, where Maldives health leaders could see firsthand how integrated health information platforms and outbreak response systems work in a comparable setting. The visit would also explore linking EIOS with event-based surveillance to strengthen early detection.
Capacity-building efforts are also being expanded through the Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), with additional frontline and intermediate training planned in collaboration with WHO's South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO). Further technical support includes training on Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS), joint risk assessment, risk communication and infodemic management. WHO is also supporting the development of flexible public health information training modules and exploring opportunities for collaboration with Maldives National University to strengthen sustainable national training capacity.
At the community level, HPA, WHO and UNICEF are collaborating to advance community-based surveillance, supporting earlier identification and reporting of potential public health threats. These efforts aim to strengthen connections between communities, healthcare facilities and national surveillance mechanisms.
"The Pandemic Fund investment signals that this isn't a one-off exercise," said WHO Representative Ms Payden. "It's Maldives' commitment to building health security as a national priority, and the international community backing that commitment with resources."
Moving forward, Health Protection Agency, Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare will take forward the workshop's recommendations through a coordinated action plan, targeted capacity-building initiatives and strengthened multisectoral surveillance mechanisms.
WHO remains committed to supporting Maldives in building a more integrated, responsive and resilient surveillance system, enabling timely detection of emerging health threats and effective public health action to protect communities across the country.