Currently, there are 31 Health Clusters/Sectors

Health Clusters exist to relieve suffering and save lives in humanitarian emergencies, while advancing the well-being and dignity of affected populations. Currently there are 31 Health Clusters/Sectors, of which 2 are regional coordination mechanisms. These Health Clusters/Sectors are working to meet the health needs of millions of people worldwide.

The Global Health Cluster exists to support Health Clusters/Sectors in countries. It can make a difference by:

• providing the right expertise at the right place at the right time;
• building capacity of Health Cluster Coordinators and other Health Cluster staff in countries;
• gathering and disseminating sound and relevant information to guide partners’ response;
• identifying and addressing gaps in technical knowledge and available guidance to ensure the health response follows global best practices and standards; and
• promoting and advocating for the importance of humanitarian health action on the global stage, to make sure that Health Clusters receive the political and financial support needed.

900 partners in countries and 60 strategically engaged at the global level

There are over 900 partners at country level of which 60 partners engage strategically at global level. These partners include international organizations and UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations, national authorities, affected communities, specialized agencies, academic and training institutes and donor agencies.

WHO is the Cluster Lead Agency and it provides secretariat support through the Global Health Cluster Team in the WHO Emergency Response Division, Health Emergencies Programme.