Participants practiced developing a swift response in case of disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies
At least 24 participants from 6 countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) attended the 4-day public health Rapid Response Team (RRT) Workshop in Amman, Jordan.
The workshop was hosted by Global Health Development | Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (GHD|EMPHNET) in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Attended in person for the first time for over a year, the workshop equipped RRT managers from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, and Sudan with the knowledge and tools necessary to establish, build, manage, deploy, and evaluate public health RRTs in their countries. It revolved around the rapid response teams, their management, and the cross-border response in the EMR.
“The importance of the RRT workshop comes within a sensitive time while the world is fighting COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The workshop will give a better understanding of managing the pandemic, and other public health events, by using the right resources and tools. We understand that RRT received many workshops and training but there’s a gap in coordination and communication, this workshop covered these gaps.” said GHD|EMPHNET Executive Director, Mohannad Al Nsour.
Participants practiced the writing of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be completed, customized, and included in their emergency plan in the case of disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies. These SOPs contain a detailed description and key steps to enhance the deployment of the RRT in the region.
Workforce Capacity Team Leader at GHD|EMPHNET, Dr. Haitham Basheir, said “Following this workshop, I expect that the participants will continue developing the SOPs for their national and subnational RRT management in their countries. Also, this workshop is expected to bring closer the RRTs, Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETPs), and Emergency Operation Center (EOC) to work in better coordination.”
Global Health Development (GHD) is a regional initiative created to support countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) and to strengthen their health systems to respond to public health challenges and threats.