2nd WHO Global Consultation on Public Health and Social Measures (PHSM)

This consultation brought together 50 experts from over 20 countries, including our CBC Director Susan Michie, and focused on the role of PHSM in public health emergencies.

Over the course of 2.5 days, they:
**Explored necessary actions for effective and rapid PHSM implementation in emergencies.
**Stressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration and clear authority divisions in initial emergency stages.
**Highlighted alignment on critical initial actions across disease areas to improve preparedness.
**Discussed making PHSM milestones more precise and measurable and integrating them into broader emergency response frameworks.

Key takeaways:
**The vital role of community engagement in strengthening countries’ International Health Regulations (IHR) capacities.
**Utilising tools like JEE, NAPHS strategies, and SPAR for assessing and improving PHSM decision-making and implementation.
**The necessity of systematic integration of PHSM into existing frameworks and guidance.

The consultation concluded with a call for strategically positioning PHSM alongside medical countermeasures, increasing precision in policy and implementation, and fostering multisectoral coordination for social protection. The emphasis on building trust and a community feedback loop was highlighted as crucial for the success of PHSM initiatives.