The direct link between the existence of thorough, well-developed written plans and the effectiveness of an emergency animal disease response is well established. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations good preparedness planning can be of enormous benefit in successfully managing an outbreak and minimising its impact. Planning should involve a consideration of how best to rapidly detect an outbreak, confirm the diagnosis and implement a rapid and effective control program. It requires an assessment of veterinary service capabilities and capacity and the legal framework in which these services operate. The structure of national poultry industries should be examined to determine the potential for entry of a virus. Industry support should be sought in the planning process. Provision for good public awareness programs should be made as it is critical to have public support for disease control activities and good public knowledge to minimise the risk of human infection.
Material contained within this chapter of the toolkit includes:
This article by John Snow Inc. offers advice on how to improve logistics systems to support scaling up of commodity supply chains for health products. Steps for, and lessons learned from, implementation of a Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) in three countries are described in detail. This case study may be useful for those planning the logistics management of emerging infectious disease responses.
A case study outlining what worked well in an Australian 2005 exercise simulating an avian influenza outbreak. The exercise was designed primarily to test industry and government's national capability to manage a zoonotic emergency animal disease (EAD) outbreak. This case study provides information useful for planning emergency and preparedness exercises.
This study reports on the innovative training course – Field Epidemiology Training Programme for Veterinarians – hosted by the Department of Livestock Development in Thailand, along with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the United States Agency for International Development.
This article from the online serial Emerging Infectious Diseases analyses events and causes of the 1918 pandemic and implications for future pandemic planning and research. Of particular interest to those seeking a historical perspective for pandemic research and planning.
This 2007 WHO paper describes the many steps involved in the selection and development of seasonal and H5N1 vaccine. A flowchart also indicates the time involved in each stage of the process which may be useful for those drafting or reviewing preparedness plans.
Details pre-agreed arrangements in Australia for combating emergency animal diseases, through cooperation, risk management, maintaining detection and response capability, cost sharing of responses, and training.
Provides additional background information on the Australian Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA)
This document, prepared by the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health for the International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza, discusses the emergence of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza and summarises the key issues Vietnam will need to consider in the future to enhance prevention and control of avian influenza and other emerging infectious diseases.
A presentation by Dr Bernard Vallat, Director General OIE on avian influenza, including the use of vaccination to the 4th International Conference on Avian Influenza, December 6-8, 2006, Bamako, Mali
This guide was developed to assist local leaders and community organisers bring together the community to help plan for disease outbreaks and other emergencies. This publication was produced by the AI.COMM project operated by the Academy for Education Development, and funded by the United States Agency for International Development.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has released an interim risk assessment (14 pp., dated 20 July 2009) of the influenza A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic. Includes a summary of disease characteristics, epidemiology and areas of uncertainty, as well as an executive summary.
This 2009 paper reports on the success of an innovative rapid-response mobile laboratory service developed in Thailand and designed to reduce the time required for laboratory diagnosis of human influenza A viruses. The paper discusses the potential of the technology for use in pandemic response plans.
The OIE PVS Tool is designed to assist country veterinary services to assess their current level of performance, and to identify gaps and shortfalls regarding their ability to comply with OIE international standards. The PVS Tool can also assist veterinary services to establish priorities and carry out strategic initiatives.
These documents are part of an accredited course in Exercise Management Training conducted by Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry and Emergency Management Australia. The aim of the course is to enhance government agencies ability to design, conduct and evaluate emergency management exercises. The objectives of the course are to provide participants with:
1. The skills and knowledge required to conduct exercises,
2. The opportunity to practice the skills and knowledge required to conduct exercises,
3. A range of resources that they can use to conduct exercise in their own agencies.
The Exercise Management Model used as a basis for this training course is universal to exercises in many organisations and countries. While the titles used for the various components may be different the concept behind each are similar. The Exercise Management Model is also consistent with the systematic approaches applied to emergency management planning and training. Adopting a uniform approach to exercises will ensure that there is consistency in design, conduct and evaluation, which in turn will lead to efficiencies when exercising. Exercises are needed to improve operational readiness and emergency preparedness. Conducting exercises in emergency management are critical so that personnel are exposed to the stress of the real situation and ensure that policy, plans, procedures and training are appropriate for when the real thing occurs.
The documents below provide the framework for a comprehensive course in exercise management. Included in the material are detailed templates for conducting the course, notes for instructors and facilitators to follow or adapt, workshop exercises and material and complete PowerPoint presentations for conducting training sessions. The course incorporates facilitator lead discussions, group activities, group presentations and the conduct and review of an exercise. As part of the course work in the following documents participants design, conduct and evaluate an exercise based on the information provided. This exercise then forms the basis for exercises to be conducted within their own agencies.