Mauritius has taken a decisive step to safeguard public health by undertaking its second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of International Health Regulation (IHR) capacities in November 2025, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO). By voluntarily engaging in this evaluation, the country has demonstrated leadership, foresight, and commitment to ensuring the health and safety of its population. A diverse group of key programme leads and technical experts from multiple departments participated in both the self-assessment and external evaluation processes.
Mauritius, with its high-quality human, veterinary, and environmental health services, has consistently shown the ability to respond effectively and rapidly to public health threats. WHO’s support aims to sustain and further enhance this capacity, fully leveraging IHR (2005) to strengthen preparedness for both known and emerging health threats. As a Small Island Developing State, Mauritius faces unique vulnerabilities, including geographic isolation, limited human and financial resources, heavy reliance on travel and trade, and increased exposure to climate-sensitive health risks such as vector-borne diseases and extreme weather events. These factors can rapidly escalate public health emergencies and disrupt essential services and socio-economic development if preparedness is insufficient.
The JEE brings together a multidisciplinary team of international experts from WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Indian Ocean Commission. The evaluation assesses Mauritius’s core public health capacities across 19 technical areas and 56 indicators, covering the four domains of Prevent, Detect, Respond, and IHR-related hazards and Points of Entry.
The WHO-led expert team noted remarkable progress since Mauritius’s first evaluation in 2018. Key achievements include the ongoing establishment of a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, advancements in Indicator-Based and Event-Based Surveillance, implementation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response framework, and the introduction of e-health initiatives. The comprehensive and transparent self-assessment produced by technical working groups was highly commended. The findings from this second JEE will inform the development of the new five-year National Action Plan for Health Security (2026–2030), expected in early 2026.
Through the JEE, WHO and the Ministry of Health and Wellness reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the population, contributing to national, regional, and global health security, and ensuring that Mauritius’s health system remains resilient, responsive, and equitable.
“This JEE will provide the evidence for the development of the second National Action Plan for Health Security in early 2026, helping to determine priority areas for strengthening, monitoring preparedness and response capacities, and ensuring medium- to long-term resilience to public health emergencies,” said Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO Representative in Mauritius.
“Health security does not depend on the health sector alone; it requires a whole-of-government approach for coordinated action to protect our people,” emphasized Hon. Anil Kumar Bachoo, Minister of Health and Wellness, at the opening of the JEE workshop on 10 November 2025.
