WHO Revamps SEARHEF 2.0 to Boost South-East Asia’s Health Emergency Response

The World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Office, working closely with national health ministries, WHO’s High-Level Preparatory (HLP) Meetings, and regional policy research groups, has charted a bold path for the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF). Launched in 2008 with a modest USD 1 million corpus, SEARHEF was meant to act as a financial lifeline in the aftermath of disasters, releasing up to USD 350,000 within 24 hours to cover critical gaps in health services during the first three months. Since then, it has grown into one of the region’s most dependable mechanisms for quick relief, having disbursed more than USD 8 million to 49 emergencies across ten Member States. These include the catastrophic Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, the 2015 Nepal earthquake, multiple disease outbreaks, and the global COVID-19 crisis. Yet the region’s rising vulnerability to climate change, pandemics, and protracted conflicts has underlined the need for a stronger and more sustainable instrument.

SEARHEF 2.0: A New Phase of Regional Solidarity

The proposal now under consideration by the seventy-eighth session of the Regional Committee in Colombo in October 2025 represents a decisive upgrade. Branded SEARHEF 2.0, it increases the fund’s corpus to USD 3 million, merges its response and preparedness streams for operational efficiency, and permits unspent balances to roll over into future bienniums. The blueprint reflects years of analysis and deliberations. In August 2023, the SEARHEF Working Group suggested the expansion, a recommendation reinforced by Member State consultations in 2024. The Secretariat then conducted extensive interviews with senior health advisers, ministry officials, and external partners. Their message was clear: the growing complexity of emergencies required a bigger, more versatile fund.

New Rules for Accountability and Speed

SEARHEF 2.0 is not just about more money, it is also about smarter governance. The newly drafted Policies and Business Rules, prepared after rounds of consultation and presented to the HLP Meeting in 2025, emphasize accountability, transparency, and flexibility. Allocations will now rise to USD 400,000 per event, disbursed in two tranches, with the first tranche released almost immediately and the second following evidence of progress. To balance priorities, half of the fund will be earmarked for response, 20 percent each for preparedness and stockpiling, and 10 percent for governance and administration. Importantly, in extraordinary circumstances such as the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the Regional Director has the discretion to fast-track disbursements. This agility is expected to make the fund more responsive to sudden, large-scale health shocks.

A Track Record of Saving Lives

The annexes to the working paper provide a vivid reminder of SEARHEF’s importance. Since 2008, the fund has been triggered for natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and humanitarian crises. Its early interventions supported internally displaced populations in Sri Lanka, earthquake victims in Indonesia, and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. During the pandemic, it financed preparedness and response activities in Thailand, Bhutan, and the Maldives, while in 2024, it helped Sri Lanka respond to a measles outbreak, Myanmar tackle cholera, and Bangladesh cope with floods. In total, USD 8,032,770 has been allocated, demonstrating the value of rapid, flexible financing in contexts where lives can be lost while larger global mechanisms are still mobilizing.

The Road Ahead: Mobilization and Resilience

Despite its proven success, the future of SEARHEF hinges on sustainability. Member States are being urged to not only endorse the new policies but also contribute directly or advocate with partners and donors. The Regional Committee has requested that the WHO develop a comprehensive resource mobilization strategy, leveraging development banks, philanthropic organizations, industries, and regional partnerships. In-kind contributions, such as medical commodities, are also being encouraged. Annual reporting to the Regional Committee until 2030, alongside public dashboards and narrative country reports, will guarantee transparency. The revised rules even suggest that Member States could reimburse SEARHEF once they secure long-term funding from global facilities like CERF or CFE, further reinforcing the fund’s cycle of resilience.

The reforms acknowledge the shifting nature of emergencies. No longer confined to occasional cyclones or earthquakes, the region now faces climate-driven floods and droughts, new and re-emerging diseases, chemical spills, conflicts, and industrial accidents. SEARHEF 2.0 is designed to be versatile enough to cover this spectrum, whether funding rapid response teams, stockpiling vaccines, or supporting partner institutions to strengthen surveillance. By prioritizing resource-constrained countries and those facing severe disaster impacts, the fund also reaffirms its solidarity principle.

As delegates gather in Colombo, the decision on SEARHEF 2.0 will shape the region’s ability to act swiftly and decisively in the face of crises. For over two billion people in South-East Asia, its adoption could mean faster relief, stronger preparedness, and lives saved when emergencies strike. Far from being just a financial upgrade, SEARHEF 2.0 symbolizes the region’s collective commitment to resilience, readiness, and shared responsibility in an era when emergencies are no longer rare events but recurring realities.