The World Health Organization (WHO) has completed Exercise Polaris II, a two-day global simulation designed to test countries’ readiness for responding to a large-scale disease outbreak. The exercise, held on 22–23 April, was based on a fictional bacterial outbreak and brought together 26 countries and territories, around 600 health emergency experts, and more than 25 partner organisations to practice coordinated pandemic response under realistic conditions.
The simulation required participating countries to activate their national emergency coordination systems and work in real time to share information, align policies, and mobilise health workforces. It built on the earlier Polaris I exercise conducted in 2025, which focused on a fictional virus outbreak, and further strengthened cross-border coordination and emergency response mechanisms.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the exercise demonstrated that global cooperation is essential in managing health emergencies. He highlighted the role of the Global Health Emergency Corps in improving coordination, trust, and collaboration across countries, ensuring that emergency health workers can respond quickly and effectively during crises.
The exercise tested two key WHO frameworks: the Global Health Emergency Corps framework and the National Health Emergency Alert and Response Framework. It also explored the use of artificial intelligence tools to improve workforce planning and emergency response coordination at both national and international levels.
Health officials involved in the exercise noted that its value lay in translating preparedness plans into real-time action. They emphasized that effective emergency response depends not only on having plans in place but on testing how those systems perform under pressure during simulated crisis conditions.
A wide range of international partners took part in the exercise, including global health agencies, emergency response networks, and humanitarian organisations. These included Africa CDC, UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins Sans Frontières, and several emergency medical and outbreak response networks, all contributing expertise and coordination support.
The second edition of Polaris saw broader participation than the first, with countries collaborating through newly established regional networks in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. This expansion reflects growing efforts to strengthen regional preparedness and improve global coordination in health emergencies.
WHO described Exercise Polaris II as part of its long-term HorizonX simulation programme, which aims to ensure continuous global preparedness for health crises. The organisation stressed that such exercises are essential for maintaining readiness, strengthening health systems, and ensuring coordinated international response to future outbreaks.
