In 2026, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme convened two global Civil Society Organization (CSO) Dialogues, focused on Ebola readiness and response and cholera community protection. Bringing together civil society, governments, UN agencies and technical partners, the dialogues identified practical actions to strengthen the role of communities and civil society in preparedness and response.
Building trust and readiness for Ebola
he Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease Readiness and Response Dialogue brought together more than 130 CSOs from Ebola-affected and at-risk countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan. Convened by WHO and the WHO CSO Commission, discussions highlighted the importance of trust, local leadership and community engagement alongside vaccines, diagnostics and treatment.
Participants identified persistent challenges, including limited preparedness financing, insufficient CSO involvement in coordination and planning, weak integration of community-generated information into surveillance, and misinformation and mistrust. They called for CSOs to be mapped and engaged before outbreaks, represented in preparedness and response structures, and supported to strengthen community-based surveillance and listening systems.
Strengthening community protection for cholera
he Cholera Community Protection Dialogue brought together 226 participants, including representatives from 58 CSOs and NGOs across 58 countries and 10 UN and intergovernmental organizations. Discussions highlighted the contribution of civil society to risk communication and community engagement, surveillance and early warning, WASH promotion, and building community trust.
Participants shared practical examples from Ethiopia, Zambia, South Sudan and Yemen, demonstrating how community actors can strengthen surveillance, counter misinformation, support vaccination and treatment-seeking, and contribute to anticipatory action.
The dialogue also identified priorities for stronger community protection, including formal CSO participation in cholera governance structures, better coordination and mapping of civil society capacities, more flexible funding for local organizations, stronger accountability to affected communities, and investment in community-based surveillance and rapid response.
From implementers to strategic partners
Across both dialogues, a consistent message emerged: civil society should be engaged as a strategic partner throughout preparedness, response and recovery, rather than primarily as an implementing partner once an emergency occurs. Participants called for stronger inclusion in decision-making, sustained preparedness investment, improved coordination and financing, and stronger mechanisms for community trust and accountability.
Together, these priorities can help strengthen people-centred systems that detect risks earlier, respond more effectively and place communities at the centre of health emergency preparedness and response.