BHUTAN STRENGTHENING ITS PREPAREDNESS FOR POTENTIAL H5N1 PANDEMIC: MULTISECTORAL TABLE-TOP SIMULATION EXERCISE (TTX) 

Bhutan conducted a table-top simulation exercise (TTX) from 27 to 29 January 2025 in Phuentsholing to enhance pandemic preparedness and response capacity. Organized by the Bhutan One Health Secretariat, the TTX involved key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health (Department of Public Health, Royal Center for Disease Control, and others), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Office of the Prime Minister, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences, and institutions like the WHO, UNDP, Bhutan Red Cross Society, and Royal Bhutan Police. The WHO Country Office in Bhutan and WHO Regional Office in New Delhi provided technical support for the workshop, which engaged 57 participants from governmental and non-governmental agencies.

The workshop aimed to assess preparedness for zoonotic diseases of pandemic potential, identify challenges, and develop action plans based on lessons from COVID-19. Using a fictional H5N1 mutant strain outbreak scenario, the TTX emphasized aligning incident command structures, improving One Health collaboration, and establishing a wildlife disease surveillance system. Recommendations included sustaining simulation exercises to maintain competencies, securing funding for One Health activities, and developing emergency wildlife disease response plans to better prepare for future pandemics.