On 30 March 2023, the National IHR Focal Point (IHR NFP) of Bangladesh participated in a WHO South -East Asia Region wide functional exercise to practice and further strengthen its capacity on International Health Regulation (IHR) related Event Communication. The exercise named SAPHIRE 2023 – South -East Asia Regional Practice of All Hazard IHR Event Communication - was organized and facilitated by the SEARO with support from the WHO Country Offices, including the office in Bangladesh.
The International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) lays the foundation for operational communications and coordination between State Parties and WHO in the detection, assessment, and management of a public health event. Effective event communication between IHR NFPs and the WHO IHR Contact Point is essential for timely communication and information sharing around public health events and to implement the IHR (2005).
The exercise sought to validate the accessibility of the IHR NFP and WHO IHR Contact Point using registered contact details; provide an opportunity for IHR NFP to practice assessment of public health events using the decision instrument contained in Annex 2 of the IHR (2005); promote understanding and familiarity of staff members of both Member States and WHO secretariat on the roles of the IHR NFP, IHR principles and obligations in the context of IHR event communication; and identify lessons to further improve IHE event communication and related systems in the Region.
The scenario adopted was an outbreak of an unknown disease which was first noticed among animals and later crossed into humans with the capacity for human-to-human transmission. There was a total of 20 injects into the scenario which allowed participants to practice communication, coordination including with other sectors, assessment and reporting needed for effective management at critical stages of the evolution of the outbreak.
Photo credit: Refayat Zabir Khan, Training and Field Monitoring Officer, Communicable Disease Control, DGHS, Dhaka
The exercise in Bangladesh brought together experts in IHR, infectious disease, epidemiology, and disease outbreak management (from the Communicable Disease Control (CDC), Management Information System (MIS), the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and the National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre) to jointly manage the simulated outbreak.
“This was a very useful and timely exercise, which has allowed us to practice our protocols and provided us opportunity to further strengthen our IHR Event Communication. It has also allowed us to interact and hear from other NFPs in the region” said Professor Dr. Md Nazmul Islam IHR NFP for Bangladesh in his remarks and feedback during the after-event Hotwash.