The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the revitalization of the Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN), which will soon transition to the WHO Academy online learning platform as a dedicated learning space.
This strategic move marks a significant milestone in strengthening health workforce development and learning support across Pacific island countries and territories. The enhanced platform will provide healthcare professionals in some of the world’s most geographically dispersed regions with improved access to high-quality, competency-based education and training.
Launched in 2003, POLHN has long been a vital resource for continuing professional development in the Pacific, helping to bridge challenges of distance, infrastructure limitations, and restricted on-site training opportunities.
“I am glad that we renew a simple promise: learning will reach every health worker, and it will support care where it is delivered,” shared Honourable Mr Penioni Koliniwai Ravunawa, Assistant Minister of Health and Medical Services of Fiji during the special one-day meeting on the Healthy Islands vision, held on Yanuca Island.
“Since 2003, POLHN has helped bridge distance; now it returns with Pacific leadership at its centre. In true Pacific fashion, we will shape the canoe – our drua – as we journey, together, so learning keeps pace with service and care stays close to home”.
After being temporarily closed in 2022 due to funding challenges, the Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN) has been re-established through a collaboration between the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office and the WHO Academy. The revitalized POLHN will now operate as a dedicated learning space on the newly launched WHO Academy online platform, offering courses specifically designed to meet the needs of Pacific health and care workers.
Learners across the Pacific will gain access to hundreds of new courses, including those developed by the WHO Academy and its global network of partner institutions, integrating academic and professional learning opportunities. In addition, training programmes such as WHO Fellowships and leadership initiatives by the Korea Foundation for International Health (KOFIH) will also be available.
The expanded curriculum covers a diverse range of subjects—from climate change and basic emergency care to the management of noncommunicable diseases—aiming to strengthen healthcare systems and enhance health outcomes across the region and beyond.
“Health and care workers in the Pacific face extraordinary challenges due to distance, limited resources and workforce shortages,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.
“The rapid pace of new standards and innovations is outpacing health systems’ ability to keep up – it can sometimes take up to 10 years for resource-constrained health systems to adapt to medical innovations. By revitalizing POLHN and integrating it into the WHO Academy, we are reaffirming our commitment to equity in learning and ensuring that every health worker, no matter where they are, has the opportunity to learn, grow and serve their communities more effectively.”
The WHO Academy is a world-class learning institution that harnesses advanced technology to provide flexible, high-impact training and capacity-building opportunities. Participants will earn digital credentials upon completing courses, enabling professional growth and formally recognizing their acquired skills and competencies.
“As part of our mission to advance universal health coverage by strengthening the health workforce, this collaboration exemplifies our efforts to provide access to relevant learning,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General, Health Systems.
“We are proud to support the Pacific health and care workforce with a learning environment that is accessible and applicable to their everyday realities. Together with our colleagues in the Western Pacific Regional Office we are building a future where lifelong learning is a reality for all health professionals.
The WHO Academy stands as a premier global learning institution that utilizes cutting-edge technology to offer adaptable, high-impact training and capacity-building programmes. Upon completing courses, learners will receive digital credentials that acknowledge their skills, enhance professional recognition, and support career advancement.