Bogotá, Colombia, 19 October 2026 (PAHO/WHO) – Public health professionals from seven countries across the Americas are in Bogotá this week for a training exercise of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), organized by the Pan American Health Organization.
The training, taking place from 19 to 23 October, is the first edition of the program to be delivered in Spanish. Using an immersive, simulation-based methodology, the training recreates some of the challenges that professionals face when responding to a real outbreak or other public health emergency.
The training is coordinated by PAHO’s Health Emergencies Department in collaboration with the GOARN operational support team and has been made possible thanks to the support of the PAHO/WHO Country Office in Colombia, the National Institute of Health (INS for its Spanish initials), and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
“This training is a valuable opportunity to strengthen countries’ capacities across our Region to respond to outbreaks and epidemics. Doing so through a practical exercise, such as the one developed by GOARN, brings us closer to the complexities that teams face in real-life situations and strengthens collaboration among professionals and institutions,” said Dr. Ana Rivière Cinnamond, PAHO/WHO Representative in Colombia, during the opening ceremony.
Dr. Zulma Cucunubá, Director General of Colombia’s National Institute of Health (INS), and Dr. Alexandra Caycedo, Director of Epidemiology and Demography at Colombia’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection, also participated in the opening ceremony.
An experience close to a real-life response
Unlike conventional training, the GOARN exercise places participants in a fictional scenario that evolves over time. As new information becomes available, teams must deploy to collect and analyze data, set priorities, coordinate with different stakeholders, and formulate recommendations under pressure.
The training brings together different disciplines that must work in a coordinated manner during an emergency, including epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory, risk communication, logistics, infection prevention and control, and clinical management, among others. In addition to applying their technical expertise, participants have the opportunity to strengthen their leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and adaptability skills.
Strengthening a network ready to respond
The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) is a World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated network that brings together more than 390 partner institutions, including national public health agencies, academic and technical institutions, and non-governmental organizations. Since its establishment in 2000, GOARN mandate continues to be to strengthen global health security by advancing preparedness for and response to public health emergencies worldwide.
The training in Bogotá will contribute to strengthening preparedness for epidemic threats, fostering the exchange of experiences, and building a stronger regional network of specialists across the Americas who are prepared to deploy as part of multidisciplinary teams during future emergencies.
