Washington, DC.
17 February 2009.
With the rollout of the global electronic system known as eCC in 2007, all WHO Regions transitioned to a paperless processing environment for (re)designations of the WHO Collaborating Centers.
The mandate to do so was announced by mid 2008. AMRO/PAHO took the lead as it kicked off 2009 in full compliance with this new policy. This was accomplished thanks to the remarkable teamwork of all partners involved: ITT/AME and KMS/KCS, WHO development and support team for the ingenious eCC system; WHO staff at the country, regional and Headquarters in Geneva and most importantly, all the centers.
For a Region with the second largest number of WHO Collaborating Centers (185), this is a significant step forward in the implementation of the new WHO policy that mandates that all designations expire automatically, without exception, unless a renewal is completed and approved. Essentially, all PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers due to expire were either redesignated with a new plan of work, or discontinued; this is a constant cooperative effort, as designations expire on a daily basis.
The new electronic system (eCC) provides a solution for faster, more efficient communication, review and tracking. A newly published comprehensive WHO Staff Guide, as well as a complementary guide for the Centers, will soon alleviate some of the daily challenges related to orienting new and returning users, troubleshooting mechanical technicalities and monitoring each process.
A WHO Collaborating Center is a laboratory, division or unit of an institution designated by the Director General, WHO. These centers form part of an international collaborative network that carry out activities in support of the Organization's programs by implementing its mandated work at the national, regional and international levels. WHO Collaborating centers in the Region of the Americas are known as PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers because of PAHO's unique, dual role as the WHO Regional office of the Americas.
A WHO collaborating centre is an institution designated by the Director-General to
form part of an international collaborative network carrying out activities in support of
the Organization's programme at all levels. A department or laboratory within an
institution or a group of facilities for reference, research or training belonging to different
institutions may be designated as a centre, one institution acting for them in relations with
the Organization.
More information:
eCC system: Information for WHO Collaborating Centres
WHO Collaborating Centres
WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs) Database
