WHO is working with the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) under the “Support to Pandemic Preparedness in Region” (PanPrep) project to examine methods of testing preparedness assumptions through the use of cross-border simulation exercises.

WHO has been selected to plan, coordinate, implement and evaluate a two simulation exercises, including one tabletop and one full-scale exercise. Both exercises are designed to test cross border preparedness measures in the EAC region. The first – table top - exercise took place in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, on 4 and 5 September.

The exercise focused on the capacity to prepare for and respond to Rift Valley Fever outbreak, a common but complex illness in ruminants that can cause a form of Haemorrhagic fever in humans which is often fatal.  The exercise gathered approximately 110 including participants, observers and facilitators. The core areas that need attention and strengthening in the future are the following: coordination, material support, strengthening of reporting systems from local to regional and national levels, understand better the animal/human health pathways, enhance multi-agency collaboration and set up sentinel systems through veterinary systems and human health monitoring.

Following the exercise, a meeting was convened to look at the lessons learnt and begin the planning for the follow-up exercise which will take place in June 2019.

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