WHO/Europe has announced the designation of the Global Surgery Policy Unit at the London School of Economics and Political Science as the new WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Policy and Impact of Integrated Emergency, Critical and Operative Care. This new partnership will focus on strengthening measurement, evidence generation and policy translation to support Member States in expanding equitable access to ECO care.
“This designation represents a strategic partnership with WHO to turn evidence into action,” said Dr Rocco Friebel, Associate Professor of Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. “By pairing robust measurement with investment cases and policy translation, we aim to support countries deliver timely, safe and affordable ECO care to their populations.”
Dr Rachel Hargest, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, added, “As a WHO collaborating centre, our focus is evidence generation and implementation. We build on our joint health policy and clinical expertise to strengthen ECO care around the world.”
Strengthening ECO care
The Centre’s work will focus on co-developing global indicators and a performance framework for ECO care; generating economic evidence and investment cases to guide decisions; and translating evidence into action through training, case studies and policy dialogues.
ECO services are essential for reducing preventable deaths and disabilities, yet remain underprioritized and underfunded in many parts of the world. By integrating policy expertise with clinical insight, the Centre will support WHO and Member States to close these gaps and reduce preventable deaths and disabilities.
“This Centre will be a key asset in generating the critical evidence and policy tools needed by Member States to build stronger, more equitable health systems,” said Ms Donna Zilstorff, WHO Technical Officer for Partnerships and Collaboration.
The Centre’s outputs will be invaluable in informing WHO’s guidance and advocacy, contributing directly to the broader global agenda of achieving health equity and building more resilient health systems for all.