Lessons from Avian Influenza Pandemic Exercise - Workshop Tomorrow
A preliminary review of a major exercise designed to test communication in the event of a human influenza pandemic within the APEC region has recommended strengthening networks that can be activated in times of an emergency.
The review - conducted by Australian officials in the wake of the 2006 APEC Pandemic Response Exercise - will be discussed by more than 50 health and Government officials at a 'Lessons Learnt' workshop in Singapore on 14-15 August.
The workshop is being sponsored by the governments of Australia and Singapore.
Co-ordinator of the Exercise, Dr Helena Studdert, of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the review had been conducted after intensive de-briefing of emergency officials involved in the exercise held on 7-8 June.
"The exercise involved health and emergency officials in 21 APEC economies responding to a hypothetical outbreak of a new strain of influenza called the 'Malacca Straits Flu'. In the scenario, it was feared the 'flu was a human form of Avian influenza," she said.
"It was suspected in some fishermen, whose boat subsequently capsized and who were rescued by a passing passenger cruise ship. This led to a hypothetical 'outbreak' of pandemic proportions within the APEC region.
"The scenario successfully achieved the goal of testing communication responses during the exercise, which lasted 26 hours across eight time zones and involving some 500 'message inputs' from around 100 officials. We were very pleased with the success of the exercise," Dr Studdert said.
Senior officials from the relevant agencies made critical decisions based on 'real' developments, communicating through the National Emergency Management Coordination Centre of Emergency Management Australia (EMA) in Canberra.
"After the exercise, we conducted a series of debriefs and evaluations with the results being compiled in a draft report," Dr Studdert said.
"These will be shared with officials from participating economies and a final report will be submitted to leaders at the APEC Ministerial Meeting in Hanoi in November"
The draft report recommends that APEC economies establish detailed communication arrangements in their domestic emergency preparedness planning. It recommends a region-wide communications network which could be activated in the event of an emergency or pandemic.
"The exercise achieved its purpose of highlighting the need for improved communications to handle these sorts of emergencies. The next step is for the Singapore workshop to discuss the report, decide how to move forward, and make a series of recommendations to ministers.
"The aim of this exercise, which is part of APEC's Taskforce on Emergency Preparedness, is to strengthen communications to be able to respond to these sorts of threats to human security in the region in a more effective and efficient way in the future," she said.
The 2006 APEC Pandemic Response Workshop will be held at the Grand Waterfront Hotel in Singapore on 14-15 August.