In 2025, countries within three regions under the World Health Organization (WHO) actively engaged in large-scale simulation exercises designed to evaluate and enhance their implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR). These drills were designed to strengthen their capacity to detect, notify, and manage public health events that could pose international concerns.

The simulations — known as SAPHIRE in South-East Asia, JADE in the European Region, and CRYSTAL in the Western Pacific — brought together National IHR Focal Points (NFPs), key figures responsible for communication and coordination under the IHR framework. These annual events tested national systems for IHR communication and contingency planning, highlighting the ongoing dedication of participating nations to boost emergency preparedness and knowledge exchange.

SAPHIRE Exercise

Conducted in July 2025, SAPHIRE brought together over 190 specialists from ten South-East Asian countries to simulate a food safety emergency with international ramifications. The exercise, which used email prompts followed by a virtual debrief, evaluated how effectively NFPs and Emergency Contacts of the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) could communicate with WHO in real-time. Participants applied IHR Annex 2 and INFOSAN protocols, aligning their institutional procedures and generating necessary documentation.

The drill demonstrated improved understanding of individual and collaborative roles, enhanced sector-to-sector cooperation, and easier access to WHO’s Event Information Site (EIS) compared to prior years. Each country involved completed a detailed self-assessment, and individual feedback reports were created to shape future training and capacity development.

Dr. Buddha Nilesh, WHO’s Regional Emergency Director for South-East Asia, closed the event by highlighting how "SAPHIRE 2025 meaningfully advanced preparedness by featuring a food-related incident, which helped solidify the collaboration between IHR NFPs and INFOSAN ECPs. The exercise showed enhanced coordination across sectors and better clarity of roles within the IHR framework."

JADE Exercise

JADE 2025 occurred in November within the European Region, involving 41 countries. The focus was on simulating the communication and cooperation mechanisms between national NFPs and regional WHO contact points in response to a potential international chemical hazard. Through dynamic, real-time scenarios, participants engaged in two-way communication drills, utilized IHR Annex 2 tools, and interacted with the EIS platform.

This simulation brought together agencies from public health, environmental protection, chemical safety, emergency response, and diagnostics to explore how to request and deliver international support in a crisis. The event was led by WHO’s Health Security team in partnership with European health entities. The outcome was the strengthening of response coordination and communication networks across sectors vital for handling chemical emergencies.

"JADE provides a critical opportunity to stress-test our systems in a secure environment," said Ihor Perehinets, Health Security and Emergency Director at WHO Regional Office for Europe. "By rehearsing our processes, we build our resilience to manage complex events with speed and effectiveness."

CRYSTAL Exercise

In December 2025, the Western Pacific region conducted the CRYSTAL exercise, with 31 countries and territories collaborating to simulate a new respiratory epidemic. The goal was to evaluate their readiness through a hypothetical pandemic, examining real-time risk assessment, data sharing, and verification procedures. Special attention was paid to operations at entry points like airports and seaports, and the exercise included sectors such as public health, animal health, risk communication, and border control.

Backed by the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, this drill supported the refinement of emergency response protocols, enabled cooperation across service areas, and fostered trust between participating agencies. The region has also reported better self-assessment scores regarding the prompt sharing of urgent health information among IHR stakeholders.

Dr. Shimoaraiso Makato from the Asia-Europe Foundation commented, “Through our experience managing various health crises, we have learned that strong cooperation at points of entry is essential for containing outbreaks early. This year’s scenario — focused on a fictional influenza-type illness — provides lessons applicable to a wide array of health threats. We are optimistic these insights will contribute to regional capacity growth."

Totaling the achievements of SAPHIRE, JADE, and CRYSTAL 2025, these exercises underscore the importance of consistent, realistic preparedness drills. By refining crisis communications, fostering cross-sector partnerships, and reinforcing the duties of NFPs, these efforts contribute meaningfully to how countries respond to, and recover from, health emergencies on a global scale.