Multisectoral engagement in health emergency preparedness: A commentary on the WHO's universal health & preparedness review (UHPR).

Despite the long-standing efforts to promote whole-of-government and whole-of-society models, health emergency preparedness is still challenged by siloed institutional or sectoral approaches. In practice, no unified mechanism has existed to systematically bring different sectors, communities, countries or regions to strengthen preparedness capacities. In response to these persistent gaps, World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Universal Health and Preparedness Review (UHPR) as one of its Post COVID-19 initiatives. This commentary examines the place of UHPR in the sphere of health emergency preparedness in bringing sustained engagement between different sectors at the national level and facilitating cross-country and cross-regional peer learning at the global level.