Joint External Evaluations

In July we marked the implementation of 100th Joint External Evaluation (JEE) since the launch of this peer-to-peer measurement of national IHR capacities in February 2016. This achievement represents an important milestone and highlights remarkable multisectoral engagement, investment, and collaboration, which would not have been possible without the commitment of our Member States, sister organizations, as well as international partners.

Source: WHO, 2019

Source: WHO, 2019

Since the first JEE in Tanzania, WHO has published an updated JEE Tool, standardized implementation guidance materials, while simultaneously identifying solutions to challenges, and recommending strategies to facilitate future JEEs. The evaluations – which have been carried out in countries across all six WHO regions – are aligned with other IHR monitoring and evaluation efforts, and are being used to support the development and implementation of National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS).

Almost twenty more JEEs are planned for this year, with methodology for the second round of JEEs under development.

States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Reporting (SPAR)

This summer we also marked the highest number of national responses to the States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Reporting (SPAR) questionnaire since 2010 and launched e-SPAR; a new web-based platform that allows online reporting in addition to the regular fillable PDF form, making the process easier for State Parties. e-SPAR also hosts all of the retrospective States Parties Annual Reporting (SPAR) data since 2010 and provides key resources and links.

During the SPAR 2018 reporting period, all three levels of WHO worked closely with State Parties to support reporting and to ensure the quality of the reports. Virtual and face-to-face meetings, sub-regional training sessions and follow up with IHR-NFPs ensured the quality of the data provided, all of which is being expanded to facilitate countries this year too.

Simulation Exercises (SimEx)

This year WHO held the largest ever cross-border field SimEx which took place at the Namanga One Stop Border Post and surrounding areas along the Kenya-Tanzania border.

Source: WHO, 2019

Source: WHO, 2019

Source: WHO, 2019

“The findings from the Field Simulation Exercise will be used to further enhance preparedness and response capacities in the EAC region and beyond,” said Christophe Bazivamo, EAC Deputy Secretary General. He noted that the effort by the EAC countries and partners was timely given the Ebola epidemic in the DRC, which shares a border with five member countries.

After-Action Reviews (AAR)

Elsewhere in Madagascar, the country’s Ministry Of Health has been working with WHO and partners to apply best practices stemming from an After-Action Review (AAR) held last year to improve preparedness and response capacities against the endemic disease. The results of this work have been significant given that only 257 isolated cases of plague were reported during the new plague season despite the country seeing roughly 400 each year on average.

Operational Readiness

Recently, Uganda was able to successfully contain transmission of EVD shortly after a confirmed case was identified, underscoring the value of health emergency preparedness. All 9 surrounding countries have been working with WHO to ensure that IHR capacities are strengthened and that any developments are also leveraged toward broader health system strengthening.

WHO is carrying out frequent evaluations to measure the progress in minimum EVD readiness levels with results indicating how far countries have come in such a short space of time.

IHR Data Analysis

Other IHR data analysis is also providing crucial insight into the gaps and strengths of national capacities, and where immediate action is needed to strengthen IHR and preparedness capacities. During this year’s World Health Assembly we presented analysis that shows how JEE results and SPAR findings are uniquely related, and how they correlate closely with each other (Figure 1). This information is being triangulated with the outputs of SimEx and AARs to help countries identify the ways that they can improve implementation of priority actions.

Source: Weekly Epidemiological Record, 2019

Documenting progress

Meanwhile, the significant levels of progress that Member States are making in applying the recommendations of IHRMEF components, including the JEE, and implementing NAPHS is also being documented with WHO support. Innovative ways to capture the best practices and expand knowledge around them is being led through collaborative action. The latest examples of such efforts are publication of the mission reports, a documentary film produced by Sri Lanka’s Health Promotion Bureau, and development of manuscripts on these practices. It shows how steps have been taken across all IHR core capacities to develop preparedness against health emergencies through an all-hazards approach.

Extending partnerships for greater collaboration

Enhancing national IHR capacities and better preparing for health emergencies cannot be achieved without sustained multisectoral engagement.

Bridging the human-animal interface

Over the past few months, WHO has been working with our tripartite partners – the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) – to carry out more National Bridging Workshops aimed at strengthening collaboration between animal and human health sectors within the rubric of the One Health approach to preparedness.

Achieving functional collaboration

We also jointly launched the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide (TZG) which provides principles, best practices and options to assist countries in achieving sustainable and functional collaboration at the human-animal-environment interface. It is also flexible enough to be used for other health threats including food safety and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Source: Tripartite – WHO, FAO & OIE, 2019

Elsewhere, WHO has also been engaging high-level political leaders across key sectors to enhance national and regional preparedness. So far this year, landmark meetings including a side event at the Global Health Security (GHS) Conference in Sydney, convened multisector stakeholders to identify new ways of scaling up strategic partnerships for health security.

These events brought together hundreds of participants representing Member States, partner organisations, UN agencies and non-governmental actors to explore urgent topics such as pandemic influenza planning, Universal Health Coverage and public health emergencies in special context settings.

Source: WHO, 2019

Looking Ahead

Although it’s difficult to predict what the next health emergency will be, the likelihood of them occurring remains high.

Our work to prepare countries against these threats is ongoing and expanding. Ensuring better national, regional and global preparedness depends on sustained commitment and coordination with Member States, partners and colleagues.

The many achievements over the past months are worth celebrating and we thank and congratulate all stakeholders who continue to support us in serving our Member States. The risk of public health emergencies – and the impacts they cause – are threats that we face in all regions, and as we move in to the last part of this year we hope you’ll join us in further expanding our work to protect the most vulnerable communities through better preparedness.

WHO Country IHR Monitoring and Evaluation