Iraq has taken an important step towards strengthening national health security with the development of its first community protection strategy and new action plans for pandemic influenza preparedness and mass gatherings. These efforts represent the country’s most comprehensive move to date to place communities at the centre of preparedness and response in a way that reflects evolving health risks and national priorities.

To drive work forward, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Iraqi Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), held a 5-day national workshop in Baghdad from the 23 to 27 November 2025. The workshop brought together more than 60 representatives from national authorities, technical experts and community leaders.

Participants reviewed Iraq’s priority health risks, explored ways to strengthen community engagement and practiced rapid decision-making through strategic planning sessions and simulation exercises focused on pandemic influenza, mass-gathering risks and other emerging threats.

Sessions highlighted the importance of incorporating community perspectives into emergency planning to ensure that preparedness plans reflect the needs of local populations. Representatives from public health directorates, communicable disease units, risk communication and community engagement teams and emergency medical services shared insights from their daily work.