HI signs a collaboration agreement with the WHO Academy

The Academy of the World Health Organization (WHO) and HI have signed a collaboration agreement.

A group of people are standing on some stairs, posing for a photo.

Académie de l’OMS : David Atchoarena, Executive Director ; Bart Janssens, Learning and Innovation Director; Babatope Akinwande, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Team Lead; Sébastien Cognat, Executive Officer; Charlotte Berquin, Team Lead Localization; Nady El Hoyek, Partnerships Officer; Alexiane Sautel, Research Officer. HI : Manuel Patrouillard, Global Managing Director; Rory Downham, Head of Skills Development. | © HI

A strategic partnership with the WHO Academy to strengthen training for healthcare professionals

On 11 June, HI signed a two-year collaboration agreement with the Lyon-based Academy of the World Health Organization (WHO).

This strategic partnership is the culmination of a long-standing relationship of trust and cooperation with the WHO - formalised in 2012 - which has grown stronger over the years, particularly in the fields of inclusive health, mental and psychosocial health, and rehabilitation.

This partnership also comes at an important time for HI: in May 2025, our organisation became the second team in the world to be recognised by the WHO as an emergency "Specialized Care Team" (SCT). This is recognition of our expertise, your commitment and our collective ability to intervene in critical situations.

Two priority objectives are at the heart of this agreement

The agreement has two main components:

Enhancing the skills of healthcare professionals
HI will be able to contribute actively to the development of training courses on major themes:
- Inclusive health
- Sexual and reproductive health
- Physical and functional rehabilitation
- Emergency preparedness and response

These themes are at the heart of the realities faced by teams working in often complex environments.

Innovation in teaching approaches
The second objective is to improve the quality, relevance and accessibility of training for healthcare workers around the world. In practical terms, this means working with the WHO Academy to develop training content that is more inclusive, more interactive and better adapted to the contexts in which we operate.

A Lyon-based partnership with an international outlook

This collaboration is rooted in Lyon, where both the WHO Academy and HI headquarters are based, but it will have a global impact. It will also enable us to pool our resources and infrastructures.

This signature is based on a common vision and a shared desire to co-construct solutions for better training, better inclusion and a better response to health challenges in the most vulnerable contexts.