What is the WHO African Emergency Operations Centres Network?

The Network is a key regional platform enabling collaboration, communication, and the exchange of wide range of information. It also seeks to build and sustain national capacity to manage public health emergencies, act as a conduit for increased partnerships, and allow for targeted donations and funding. The ultimate aim is to allow all Member States of the WHO African Region to have Public Health Emergency Operations Centres with full capacity to coordinate the preparation for and response to public health emergencies. Members include the WHO AFRO Health Emergencies Programme (acting as the Network secretariat), 47 Member States, regional and international organizations, individual experts, and universities and institutes

Why are public health EOCs vital in emergency management?

Every year, over 100 public health events are detected and responded to by WHO across all 47 Member States of the Region. Given this burden and the challenges faced, the availability of a strong national coordination mechanism engaged in the full emergency cycle is essential. Public health EOCs operate as a hub for coordinating the preparation for and response to emergencies and bring together a multidisciplinary and multisectoral team of experts using an Incident Management System.

What are the core components of a public health EOC?

There are five core components of a public health EOC:

1. Plans and procedures (Incident Action Plans, Incident Specific Plans, All-Hazard Emergency Operations Plans)
2. Physical infrastructure
3. Information and communication technology infrastructure
4. Information systems and data standards
5. Skilled and trained Human resources

What is an Incident Management System (IMS)?

An incident management system is an emergency management structure and set of protocols that provides an approach to guiding government agencies, the private sector,  non-governmental organizations and other actors to work in a coordinated manner, primarily to respond to and mitigate the effects of all types of emergencies. The incident management system may also be utilized to support other aspects of emergency management, including

preparedness and recovery. The PHEOC uses IMS as a coordination system in responding to public health emergency.

How does the Network assist in the evaluation of public health PHEOC capacity?

The Network supports orientation exercises, drills, table-top exercises, functional exercises and full-scale exercises, and regularly monitors progress using assessment checklist in the PHEOC framework. These determine the nature and extent of existing and required investment in building effective response capability and capacity.

Through what work areas does the Network support public health EOCs in the Region?

The Network assists Member States to plan and implement EOCs, evaluate EOC capacity and assist EOCs in the full emergency management cycle. It provides opportunities for sharing experiences, conducting research and publishing evidence, creating national and regional partnerships, and acting as a platform for financial support. The Network works through five focus areas:

1. Implementing standards and promoting their adaptation based on country-context;
2. Capacity building and exercises;
3. Collaboration and partnerships;
4. Enhancing communication and the exchange of information; and
5. Producing research and evidence.

How has the WHO African PHEOC Network provided support to PHEOCs?

WHO in collaboration with partners has been very active in this respect in working across the African Region in many countries. Some activities include:

1. Providing technical assistance to develop costed PHEOC implementation plans;
2. Developing PHEOC plans and procedures;
3. Supporting the setup of information system for PHEOCs to support decision making;
4. Supporting the setup of PHEOC physical infrastructure and communication technology;
5. Conducting training on basic and intermediate levels of PHEOC including PHEOC operations and management, Incident Management System etc.;
6. Facilitating sharing of experiences; and
7. Conducting advocacy and partnership activities to initiate and develop PHEOCs.

What successes has the WHO African EOC Network had so far?

The Network has already made significant improvements in EOC capacity across the Region and looks forward to continued success. There have been tangible improvements in many countries. See on “Progress made on implementation of PHEOC in the African Region (link).

What role can partners and donors play in the Network?

The Network encourages active participation of members in its activities. These activities support Member States in developing the four core components of a PHEOC, for example through the provision of technical support and funding, the sharing of experiences and best practices and the provision of trainings. Partners work alongside with WHO and member states in order to collectively reduce morbidity, mortality, and disability from health emergencies such as disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies

How does the Network serve to facilitate and encourage communication and information exchange?

The Network works closely with Member States and PHEOC partners. It provides technical assistance though meetings, workshops, training sessions, simulation exercises and other opportunities for learning and exchange. The Network website also includes a SharePoint platform for sharing information and a communication forum for posting comments and queries and giving feedback. The website also provides links to other resources related to the wider WHO Emergencies Programme and other public health EOC websites.

How does the Network support the availability of research and evidence to assist public health EOCs?

The Network envisages itself as a leading portal for the availability of cutting-edge research and evidence on developing and managing PHEOCs. It produces evidence-based standards, tools, guidelines, and other resources. The Network publishes articles, documents on best practices, and produces press releases, meeting reports and progress reports of EOC implementation. The WHO African EOC Network annual report will highlight public health EOC activities that have taken place throughout the year.