Malawi and Namibia have taken important steps to strengthen community-centred preparedness and response by developing National Strategic Action Plans for Community Protection, translating the WHO Community Protection Framework into practical actions at national, provincial, district and community levels.
The strategic planning process recognizes that communities are the first responders to health emergencies and places them at the heart of prevention, preparedness, detection and response efforts. The plans promote the integration of risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management, community-based surveillance, case management, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and other multisectoral actions into existing national policies and programmes. While developed through a cholera-focused lens, the plans strengthen capacities that are applicable across a broad range of public health emergencies and hazards including respiratory pathogens.
Facilitated by the WHO Community Protection and Resilience Team, in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Africa and WHO country offices, national workshops were held in Lilongwe, Malawi, (2–4 September 2026) and Windhoek, Namibia, (7–9 September 2026). These workshops were the culmination of a participatory co-design process that began in May 2026 involving ministries of health, WHO country teams and a review of existing national policies, strategies and emergency preparedness plans.
National workshop to develop community protection strategic action plan, 2–4 September, Lilongwe, Malawi
National workshop to develop community protection strategic action plan, 7–9, September, Windhoek, Namibia
A central feature of the workshops was a cholera simulation exercise using a tabletop exercise (TTX) methodology. The exercise enabled stakeholders to jointly examine community roles, capacities and support systems across the emergency cycle, from preparedness and readiness to response and recovery. Through collaborative discussions, participants identified strengths, gaps and priority actions to improve community-centred cholera prevention, preparedness and response, while also generating recommendations relevant to an all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness and resilience.
The workshops brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including community and traditional leaders, community health workers, health facility representatives, school committees, community health committees, civil society organizations, district and national government officials, development partners and representatives from sectors such as water, social welfare and immigration. Their active participation ensured that the resulting action plans reflect local realities, community priorities and shared ownership.
Orientation of community participants, Lilongwe, Malawi
The workshops were funded by ECHO (European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid), UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK PHRST) and WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework Partnership Contribution in Malawi and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Namibia. The UK PHRST and the RKI were also strong technical partners to work together in the workshops and promote innovative community centered health emergency preparedness and response with WHO. WHO will continue to support both countries in finalizing, endorsing and implementing the plans, helping ensure that communities remain at the centre of efforts to prevent, prepare for, detect and respond to health emergencies.