Delays in detecting, reporting, and responding to outbreaks remain one of the most pressing challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). To address this gap, the 7-1-7 approach—detect within 7 days, notify within 1 day, and complete an early response within 7 days—offers a simple, evidence-based target to strengthen timeliness and accountability in outbreak response. Already in use across several World Health Organization (WHO) regions, 7-1-7 provides countries with a framework to measure progress, identify bottlenecks, and improve systems through real-time learning.

Against this backdrop, EMPHNET hosted its 47^th WEBi session, “Accelerating Outbreak Detection, Notification and Response in EMR: Advocating for the 7-1-7 Approach,” on September 16, 2025.

Featured Speakers

The webinar was moderated by Maj. Gen. Prof. Aamer Ikram, Vice-President of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) and Chair of the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET) Advisory Board. Speakers included:

• Amgad Elkholy, Team Lead, International Health Regulations Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation, WHO EMRO.
• Dalia Samhouri, Lead Health Specialist, Pandemic Fund.
• Tyler Porth, Principal Technical Advisor, 7-1-7 Alliance.
• Majid Ali Tahir, Health Education Officer, Center for Disease Control, National Institites of Health (NIH), Pakistan.

Key Discussion Points

WHO’s Regional Perspective

Dr. Elkholy opened with examples of major international public health threats, noting that in response, several global frameworks were developed, including the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), which require countries to build capacities to prevent, detect, respond to, and notify public health events. He then highlighted the complex health challenges facing the EMR, where more than half of the world’s refugees live amid ongoing conflicts, frequent outbreaks, and fragile health systems. Despite these pressures, he stressed that strengthening early detection, reporting, and response under the IHR is critical, and that WHO EMRO’s priority is to help countries close preparedness gaps and translate frameworks into concrete action to save lives.

Embedding 7-1-7 in Pandemic Fund Monitoring

Dr. Samhouri spoke about the use of the 7-1-7 approach in monitoring and evaluating Pandemic Fund projects, which currently support preparedness efforts in 75 countries. She explained that the Fund also applies IHR monitoring and evaluation tools such as the JEE and SPAR, and noted that 7-1-7 adds value as a practical exercise by offering a standardized performance framework, guiding investment decisions, and enabling country comparisons. While acknowledging challenges such as data availability, she emphasized the opportunities it creates for adjusting investment priorities.

The 7-1-7 Approach and Global Lessons

Dr. Porth described that 7-1-7 target is based on the idea that every disease outbreak presents an opportunity to learn from real-world experience. The 7-1-7 target uses a simple set of three timeliness metrics to assess and improve detection, notification, and response systems during the early phase of an outbreak. He outlined how the 7-1-7 target can help improve health security through:

• Performance improvement: Bottlenecks are easily identified, and both short and long-term actions drive rapid, continuous improvement with every outbreak.
• Advocacy: Clear data based on simple metrics informs prioritization and highlights the need for resources and policy interventions.
• Accountability: Evaluating performance against simple metrics simplifies monitoring and improves transparency in reporting, making it easier to demonstrate the impact of interventions.

He emphasized that achieving 7-1-7 is feasible for most outbreaks and that many bottlenecks can be resolved at little or no cost. He also highlighted the work of the 7-1-7 Alliance, noting that 66 countries are currently engaged: 22 are using or adopting the approach, 19 are in early phases, and 25 are exploring it. The Alliance’s Global Community of Practice further connects more than 200 members from 40 countries.

Pakistan’s National Experience

Dr. Tahir shared Pakistan’s journey in adapting 7-1-7. Following national consultations and advocacy, the country formally began implementing the approach in 2025, piloting it in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan developed a standardized outbreak investigation tool, harmonized across provinces and integrated into the national DHIS-2 system. Despite challenges such as limited financing, competing health priorities, and concerns about overlapping with existing systems, strong advocacy by Pakistan National Institute of Health (NIH), Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) alumni, and international partners enabled significant progress. Dr. Tahir emphasized that continued capacity building and domestic financing will be critical for sustainability.

Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A

The session convened more than 250 participants from across the region and beyond, bringing together policymakers, practitioners, and international partners to explore the approach’s relevance for EMR and share early implementation experiences.

Participants engaged in a dynamic discussion on how to integrate 7-1-7 into existing systems, challenges faced in the region and how to tackle it using the approach, support of international partners such as the Pandemic Fund, and opportunities to link the approach with FETPs.

Key Takeaways

• 7-1-7 is the first real-time, start-to-end assessment of how quickly a country detects and contains infectious disease threats.
• It uses a simple set of three timeliness metrics to assess and improve detection, notification, and response systems during the early phase of an outbreak.
• It creates transparency, facilitates advocacy, promotes accountability, and promotes rapid improvement in early outbreak detection and response.
• Country experiences, such as Pakistan’s adoption, show that national leadership and regional collaboration are essential to driving progress.
  
  

Watch the full webinar here.

Read more about the 7-1-7 alliance here.