ETHIOPIA— The World Health Organization (WHO) in Ethiopia has just concluded a successful training program for 100 rapid responders to handle public health emergencies and humanitarian crises in Ethiopia and the region.
The 100 rapid responders were trained by the World Health Organization (WHO) Ethiopia in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The training program consisted of four modules i.e., Public Health Emergency Operating Center, Humanitarian and Health Cluster Coordination, Gender-Based Violence, and Rapid Response Teams.
The training is currently being replicated in as many countries in the region and aimed to ensure that all the countries under the program are prepared to respond to health emergencies and humanitarian crises within 24 to 48 hours from the time of the incident.
According to Dr. Dereje Duguay, State Minister, Ministry of Health, “Ethiopia is prone to health emergencies and requires robust coordination and proper training to prepare, prevent, and respond promptly in the event of an outbreak.”
Dr. Duguay also noted that the country was currently responding to public health emergencies, including COVID-19, measles, and cholera, as well as humanitarian crises such as conflict, drought, and floods.
Ato Nesibu Yasin Deputy Commissioner, of the Ethiopian Disaster risk management commission (EDRMC) said, “I want to thank WHO for this very important training. It has come at an opportune time when the country is addressing emergencies.”
Yasin also noted that with more trained rapid responders, Ethiopia was more than geared up to tackle and beat any outbreak or public health emergencies efficiently within the first 24 to 48 hours of confirmation.
Dr Patrick Abok, on behalf of the WHO Ethiopia representative, said, “It is amazing to see a long training journey like a marathon completed successfully, with great cooperation and resilience from you the trainee, and stakeholders.”
Dr. Abok acknowledged that the stakeholders at the Hawassa training had played a great role in a successful marathon training noting that they drew from sectors such as the Ministry of Defence, Ethiopian Aviation Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, and Public Health Institute.
Public Health emergency training interventions in Ethiopia
A virtual meeting was recently held with H.E. Dr. Lia Tadesses, the Health Minister of Ethiopia, Dr. Dlamini Nonhlanhla, the WHO Ethiopia Representative, and Dr. Fiona Braka, the WHO Afro Emergency Operations Manager.
The meeting aimed to highlight the importance of the AVoHC SURGE Multidisciplinary Training and to emphasize the need to strengthen national capacity for responding to health emergencies.
The African Volunteers Health Corps (AVoHC)-SURGE training is a crucial course that builds the skills and competencies of rapid responders to manage emergencies efficiently.
WHO committed to mobilizing resources to support the country in implementing the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) flagship initiatives and Ethiopia is one of the few countries currently implementing the program.
WHO is also supporting the government to continue implementing the activities outlined in the two-year roadmap for implementation drafted during the Scoping Mission for the Flagship.
As part of the AVoHC-SURGE program, Ethiopia is developing a multidisciplinary roster of highly trained, equipped, and supported experts to respond rapidly to public health emergencies.
The roster members will primarily respond to emergencies in Ethiopia, such as infectious disease outbreaks and disasters, and may also be requested to respond to African regions.
Notably, the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute has established a Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) center which oversees preparedness, early warning, response, and recovery of public health emergencies.
PHEM center is organized as two teams at the national level i.e., Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Capacity Building Team and Early Warning & Communication Team.
An example of a successfully managed public health crisis by PHEM was the Ethiopia COVID-19 Emergency Response Project.
PHEM was at the forefront of implementing efforts and mobilizing critical resources to rapidly strengthen preparedness and response to the pandemic.
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