Enhancing Global Acute Care: Understanding the WHO’s ACAN by L. Wallis | OPENPediatrics

This episode of the World Shared Practice Forum Podcast dives into the origins and objectives of the Acute Care Action Network (ACAN), led by Dr. Lee Wallis at the World Health Organization. Discover how ACAN aims to integrate emergency, critical, and operative care to enhance healthcare systems globally, focusing on universal health coverage and preparedness for health emergencies. Dr. Wallis shares insights into the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the establishment of ACAN, and its ambitious goals in the face of funding constraints. This episode is essential for healthcare professionals eager to understand global healthcare strategies and improve acute care delivery. LEARNING OBJECTIVES - Explain the role and mission of the Acute Care Action Network (ACAN) within the WHO - Identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global healthcare systems and emergency care - Discuss the five operational priorities set by ACAN for strengthening acute care - Describe ACAN’s strategic partnership goals and membership framework - Analyze how integrated emergency care can improve healthcare preparedness and response AUTHORS Lee Wallis, MBChB, PhD, PhD (hon), Dip IMC RCS Edin, Dip Sport Med, FRCS Edin, FRCP Edin, FRCEM, FCEM(SA), FEMSSA, FIFEM Lead, Emergency & Critical Care World Health Organization Jeffrey Burns, MD, MPH Emeritus Chief Division of Critical Care Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Professor of Anesthesia Harvard Medical School DATE Initial publication date: April 21, 2025. TRANSCRIPT https://cdn.bfldr.com/D6LGWP8S/at/39b93qf5q67b237gxtpv5wf/042125_WSP_Wallis_Transcript.pdf Please visit: http://www.openpediatrics.org OPENPediatrics™ is an interactive digital learning platform for healthcare clinicians sponsored by Boston Children’s Hospital and in collaboration with the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies. It is designed to promote the exchange of knowledge between healthcare providers around the world caring for critically ill children in all resource settings. The content includes internationally recognized experts teaching the full range of topics on the care of critically ill children. All content is peer-reviewed and open-access thus at no expense to the user. For further information on how to enroll, please email: openpediatrics@childrens.harvard.edu CITATION Wallis L, Burns JP. Enhancing Global Acute Care: Understanding the WHO’s ACAN. 04/2025. OPENPediatrics. Online Podcast. https://soundcloud.com/openpediatrics/enhancing-global-acute-care-understanding-the-whos-acan-by-l-wallis-openpediatrics.