26 Countries Practice Global Pandemic Response Together

When the next pandemic arrives, the world won't have time to figure out how to work together on the fly.

That's why the World Health Organization brought together 26 countries from every continent last month for Exercise Polaris II, a realistic two-day simulation of a dangerous fictional bacteria spreading across borders. Over 600 health emergency experts activated their actual emergency response systems, practiced sharing critical information, and coordinated with each other exactly as they would during a real crisis.

"Exercise Polaris II showed what is possible when we act together," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "Global cooperation is not optional. It is essential."

The exercise wasn't just a theoretical discussion around a conference table. Countries activated their real emergency coordination centers, tested their workforce deployment plans, and worked under time pressure to align policies across borders. They even explored using artificial intelligence tools to help organize and plan emergency responses.

This was the second edition of the Polaris exercises, building on a successful first run in April 2025 that focused on a fictional virus. This time, participation nearly doubled, and new regional networks like the Health Emergency Leaders Network for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean joined in.

The simulation put two major WHO frameworks into practice. The Global Health Emergency Corps framework helps countries strengthen their health workforces and share personnel during crises. The National Health Emergency Alert and Response Framework outlines exactly what actions countries need to take at local and national levels when an outbreak hits.

"It is not enough to have plans on paper. What matters is how they perform in practice," said Edenilo Baltazar Barreira Filho, Director of Brazil's Public Health Emergencies Department.

More than 25 organizations participated, including Médecins Sans Frontières, UNICEF, the Red Cross, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. These groups practiced providing technical expertise and surge support to countries that needed extra help responding to the fictional outbreak.

The Ripple Effect

The real value of exercises like Polaris II extends far beyond the two days of simulation. By building relationships and trust between countries during peacetime, health leaders create networks they can activate instantly during real emergencies. Every country that participates becomes better prepared to protect its own citizens while supporting neighbors who need help.

Exercise Polaris II is part of HorizonX, WHO's ongoing program to continuously test and improve global health security. Rather than treating emergency preparedness as a one-time checkbox, the program treats it as an ongoing investment requiring regular practice and refinement.

The 26 participating countries spanned from Bangladesh to Brazil, Kenya to Malaysia, representing diverse health systems and resources but united in their commitment to be ready.

When the next real outbreak emerges, these countries won't be meeting each other for the first time.