WHO simulation tests global response to fictional bacterial pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) wrapped up Exercise Polaris II, a 2-day high-level simulation exercise, based around an outbreak of a fictional new bacterium spreading across the world. Bringing together 26 countries and territories, 600 health emergency experts and over 25 partners, the exercise, which took place on 22 and 23 April, allowed countries to test their preparedness for pandemics and other major health emergencies, including activating their emergency workforce structures, information flow and coordination with each other, partners and WHO.

Building on the success of Polaris I held in April 2025, which centered on a fictional virus, each participating country activated its emergency coordination structure and worked under real-life conditions to share information, align policies and surge their workforce.

Exercise Polaris II showed what is possible when we act together. It demonstrated that global cooperation is not optional – it is essential. This is the purpose of the Global Health Emergency Corps: coordination across the emergency workforce, building trust, strengthening connections, and working as one across borders."

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

The simulation put two key WHO frameworks into practice, the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) framework and the National health emergency alert and response framework, and explored the use of AI-enabled tools to support workforce organization and planning.

The GHEC framework, published in June 2025, provides guidance on how countries can strengthen their health workforce to respond to emergencies based on the principles of sovereignty, equity and solidarity. It improves collaboration between countries by supporting information exchange and strengthening the deployment of regional and global emergency personnel when needed.

The National health emergency alert and response framework, published in October 2025 outlines the key functions, coordination systems and actions needed for an effective response at local, sub-national and national levels.

"By simulating the spread of a dangerous pathogen under real-life conditions, Exercise Polaris II helped us turn existing plans into action. It is not enough to have plans on paper – what matters is how they perform in practice," said Edenilo Baltazar Barreira Filho, Director of the Public Health Emergencies Department, Ministry of Health, Brazil.

The exercise also provided an opportunity to practice a coordinated provision of technical expertise and surge support to countries from over 25 national, regional and global health agencies and organizations, including Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins Sans Frontières, Robert Koch Institute, UK-Med, UNICEF, and emergency networks such as the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, the Emergency Medical Teams initiative, Standby Partners, and the International Association of National Public Health Institutes.

"Exercise Polaris II showed what it looks like when countries are prepared and ready to act together," said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme. "This reflects the spirit of the Global Health Emergency Corps: a well-organized, trained, coordinated and connected emergency workforce ready to respond wherever and whenever it is needed."

The second edition of the exercise saw a larger number of countries participate and collaborate through new networks such as the recently launched Health Emergency Leaders Network for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Exercise Polaris II is part of HorizonX, WHO's forward-looking, multi-year simulation exercise programme. It provides a vital platform to operationalize and practice emergency frameworks under real-life conditions, ensuring that collective readiness is not a periodic effort, but a continuous investment in global health security.