Draft:WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training
| Submission declined on 25 July 2025 by AlphaBetaGamma (talk). This submission is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources are required so that information can be verified. If you need help with referencing, please see Referencing for beginners and Citing sources. This submission does not appear to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid peacock terms that promote the subject.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
|  |
WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training
[edit]The WHO Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) for Public Health Education and Training is a designated centre within the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, established in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Centre contributes to strengthening public health systems globally through capacity building, policy development, leadership training, and technical collaboration with WHO and national health institutions.[1]
Overview
[edit]The Centre was first designated by the WHO in 2007 and has since maintained its status through successive terms.[2] It is part of the WHO’s global network of collaborating centres that contribute to the organisation’s programme areas.[3]
Its primary mission is to advance public health education, research, and training, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and fragile or conflict-affected settings, with a focus on health systems strengthening, leadership development, and emergency preparedness.
Areas of Work
[edit]The Centre supports WHO’s strategic objectives through the following thematic areas:
- Public health leadership and workforce development
- Health systems resilience and policy implementation
- Emergency preparedness and response training
- Curriculum development for medical and public health education
- Digital health and evidence-informed decision-making
- Research governance and public health ethics
Key Activities
[edit]- Designing and delivering capacity-building programmes for ministries of health, universities, and WHO country offices
- Developing competency-based curricula for public health training institutions
- Supporting WHO in the implementation of programmes such as the Leadership in Emergencies[4] and the Roadmap for National Workforce Capacity to Implement Essential Public Health Functions.[5]
- Hosting international fellowships, workshops, and leadership training for public health professionals
- Collaborating on systematic reviews and global burden of disease analyses[6]
Research
[edit]The Centre contributes to academic research aligned with WHO priorities, producing peer-reviewed publications in global public health, systems resilience, health leadership, and emergency preparedness.
Notable research includes:
- Health Systems Resilience: A concept analysis published in Health Research Policy and Systems, providing a foundational framework for evaluating resilience in fragile and post-conflict contexts.[7]
- Emergency Preparedness and Response: This theme addresses the development of strategies and policies to effectively respond to health emergencies, such as pandemics or natural disasters,[8] with a focus on preparedness, mitigation, and rapid response.[9]
- Health Behaviour and Education: This theme investigates the role of behaviour and education in health outcomes, focusing on how health education[10], interventions, and behaviour modification can lead to healthier populations and more effective disease prevention.[11]
- Virology and Infectious Diseases: This theme covers research on viruses, their transmission, and the development of treatments and vaccines, with a focus on understanding and combating infectious diseases that pose significant public health threats.[12]
- Contributions to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) studies, including disease trends in the Middle East and North Africa and antimicrobial resistance analyses.[13]
The Centre also supports research training, supervises postgraduate students, and hosts visiting scholars from WHO-affiliated institutions.
Programmes and Initiatives
[edit]Postgraduate Fellowship Training
[edit]The WHO Collaborating Centre Postgraduate Fellowship Programme provides research and clinical skills development for public health and family medicine physicians. Fellows from China, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait have recently completed placements, publishing studies, talking in conferences and seminars, and producing health education content.[14]
Advanced Leadership and Health Management Training
[edit]Delivered in London and anywhere around the world, this programme strengthens health leadership competencies and includes modules on evidence-based decision-making, change management, and stakeholder governance.[15]
CCHF Collaborative Research
[edit]An interdisciplinary project with partners in Iraq, Nottingham, and Barcelona focuses on the treatment, modelling, and public health management of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), integrating conflict, climate, and transmission modelling.
Simulation and Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education
[edit]Led by Dr David Laith Rawaf, this initiative integrates AI-based simulators and virtual training into medical education and system improvement, with regional application in the UAE and global relevance.
Evaluation of WHO Emergency Leadership Training
[edit]The Centre has evaluated the WHO Emergency Preparedness and Response Leadership Programme using mixed-methods research and aims to assess its global impact.
Health Systems Resilience
[edit]In collaboration with LSE and WHO, the Centre contributed to the WEF PHSSR report evaluating resilience and sustainability of the Saudi health system.
Global Burden of Disease and Public Health Research
[edit]In partnership with IHME, the Centre is analysing trends in cardiovascular disease, obesity, antimicrobial resistance, and HIV in Arab countries.
Outreach and Engagement
[edit]The Centre runs a high-profile social media presence with more than 50,000 LinkedIn followers. Campaigns like #WHOCCWrapped and ‘Hot Seat’ reels raise awareness on misinformation and public health issues. The Centre also supports NHS blood donation drives and organises the Lady Amalia Fleming Lecture Series to promote women in public health leadership.
Collaborations
[edit]The Centre collaborates with:
- WHO headquarters and regional offices (EMRO, EURO, AFRO)
- Ministries of Health in Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, and Saudi Arabia
- Academic institutions including King’s College London, London School of Economics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Baghdad, and American University of Beirut
- The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)
Location
[edit]The Centre is based at White City Campus, Imperial College London and is led by the Director Professor Salman Rawaf, Head of the Primary Care and Public Health Unit, Professor Azeem Majeed, and Co-Director, Celine Tabche, with support from Ela Augustyniak [Project Manager] and academic and research staff.[16]
External Links
[edit]- ^ \[1](https://www.imperial.ac.uk/school-public-health/who-collaborating-centre/) WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training – Imperial College London]
- ^ \[2](https://apps.who.int/whocc/Detail.aspx?ddmCode=COLLAB&cc=GBR-90) WHO Collaborating Centre Database – Imperial College London]
- ^ \[3](https://www.who.int/about/collaborations/collaborating-centres) WHO Collaborating Centres – General Overview]
- ^ \[4](https://www.who.int/emergencies/leadership-programme) WHO Leadership for Health Emergencies Programme]
- ^ \[5](https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/treatment-care/mental-health-gap-action-programme) Mental Health Gap Action Programme – WHO]
- ^ \[6](https://www.healthdata.org/gbd) Global Burden of Disease – IHME]
- ^ \[7](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-024-01040-5) Tabche C, Al Asfoor D, Al Zadjali M. Concept analysis of health system resilience. Health Research Policy and Systems. 2024]
- ^ Rawaf, Salman; Quezada Yamamoto, Harumi; Rawaf, David (2020-05-21). "Unlocking towns and cities: COVID-19 exit strategy". Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal = la Revue de Sante de la Mediterranee Orientale = Al-Majallah Al-Sihhiyah Li-Sharq Al-Mutawassit. 26 (5): 499–502. doi:10.26719/emhj.20.028. ISSN 1687-1634. PMID 32538441.
- ^ Alahmari, Asma; Tabche, Celine; Adawi, Abdu; Alanazi, Salma; Alfallaj, Lenah; Aljumah, Mohammed; Alkahtani, Haya; Atwan, Zeenah; Shami, Sahar; Sulaimani, Ghofran; Rawaf, Salman; Alkhorisi, Ahmad (2025-02-18). "Adapting WHO Rapid Response Teams Advanced Training Program to Saudi Arabia's Public Health Needs: A Systematic Process". Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 19 e36. doi:10.1017/dmp.2025.27. ISSN 1938-744X. PMID 39962861.
- ^ Rawaf, Salman; Tabche, Celine (2022-03-16). "Public Health Workforce Development Through Virtually Interactive Training Courses". Public Health Reviews. 43: 1604657. doi:10.3389/phrs.2022.1604657. ISSN 2107-6952. PMC 8964950. PMID 35371591.
- ^ Rawaf, Salman; Tabche, Celine; Christodoulou, George N.; Rawaf, David; Quezada-Yamamoto, Harumi (2023), Mezzich, Juan E.; Appleyard, W. James; Glare, Paul; Snaedal, Jon (eds.), "Person-Centered Prevention", Person Centered Medicine, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 289–307, doi:10.1007/978-3-031-17650-0_17, ISBN 978-3-031-17650-0, retrieved 2025-07-25
- ^ Atwan, Zeenah; Alhilfi, Riyad; Mousa, Alaa K; Rawaf, Salman; Torre, Juan D. L.; Hashim, Ali R; Sharquie, Inas K; Khaleel, Hanan; Tabche, Celine (2024-03-01). "Alarming update on incidence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Iraq in 2023". IJID Regions. 10: 75–79. doi:10.1016/j.ijregi.2023.11.018. ISSN 2772-7076. PMC 10762355. PMID 38173860.
- ^ \[8](https://www.healthdata.org/gbd) Global Burden of Disease – IHME]
- ^ \[9](https://www.imperialwhocc.org/visiting-programmes/postgrad/) WHO CC Fellowship]
- ^ \[10](https://www.imperialwhocc.org/blog/2024-blog/week-1-advanced-leadership-and-health-management-course-with-the-university-of-lahore/) Leadership Training Blog]
- ^ \[11](https://www.imperialwhocc.org/meet-our-experts/) Imperial College School of Public Health]
Conflict of Interest
[edit]This page has been written by employees and interns from this WHO CC.