Framework and toolkit for infection prevention and control outbreak preparedness, readiness and response at the national level


Book Description

This document provides a practical framework of actions and toolkit for strengthening infection prevention and control (IPC) outbreak preparedness, readiness and response at the national and subnational level. The document is targeted at IPC decision-makers, including IPC focal points or others in charge of IPC at the national or subnational level, and is geared towards outbreak response incident managers, outbreak management IPC task forces and national IPC committees. Other target audiences include safety and quality leads and managers, regulatory bodies and allied organizations, including academia, national IPC professional bodies and nongovernmental organizations involved in IPC activities.




Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response


Book Description

This guidance is an update of WHO global influenza preparedness plan: the role of WHO and recommendations for national measures before and during pandemics, published March 2005 (WHO/CDS/CSR/GIP/2005.5).







WHO benchmarks for strengthening health emergency capacities


Book Description

The WHO Benchmarks for International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Capacities was first published in 2019 and serves as a capacity-building tool and reference document to guide development/updating of country health security plans, including the national action plan for health security (NAPHS). It is now updated to a second edition which incorporates lessons learned from recent health emergencies, as well as alignment with updated IHRMEF tools, the HEPR framework, the WHO Director-General’s ten proposals to build a safer world together, and to build back better through multi-hazard and whole-of-society approaches to support better preparedness for future emergencies. Over 250 relevant technical leads contributed to this edition, by providing inputs from WHO regional offices, countries, partners and participation in global consultation meetings. The second edition is titled “WHO Benchmarks for Strengthening Health Emergency Capacities: Support for the Implementation of International Health Regulations (IHR) and Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPR) Capacities”. WHO benchmarks are further digitalized for easy and quick use, along with a reference library, which is currently being updated. The audience for this document includes WHO Member States, health ministries and other relevant ministries, healthstakeholders, partners, nongovernmental organizations and academia to support building capacities at the country level.




Ebola and Marburg treatment centres


Book Description

This manual addresses the design and construction of healthcare facilities supporting the response to Ebola and Marburg (E&M) disease outbreaks, particularly in treatment centres (TCs). It provides technical guidance, minimum requirements, practical tools and layout examples, and references for planning, designing, building, and operating healthcare facilities (TCs and others) to respond to E&M disease outbreaks in low– and middle-income contexts and resource-limited settings. The manual complements other World Health Organization (WHO) literature and contributes to the standardization of facility design and operation for safe and humane care and treatment of patients.







National outbreak response handbook by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network


Book Description

The National outbreak response handbook by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) provides national public health agencies, ministries of health and partners with practical guidance as they respond to outbreaks in their country or territory. The Handbook can be used to inform outbreak preparedness and response plans at the national and subnational levels, including to ensure complementarity with existing national outbreak response plans. It summarizes effective organizational structures that can be implemented during national outbreak response, highlights best practices based on GOARN partners’ collective experiences, and references key technical and operational resources that have been developed by GOARN and its partners. This version (2024) of Handbook has been developed following extensive consultation across multidisciplinary GOARN partners and WHO technical teams, including collective response experiences. It is accompanied by an online portal version on the GOARN Knowledge Platform.




Global report on infection prevention and control


Book Description

The purpose of the report is to describe the status of infection prevention and control (IPC) implementation globally, to identify future direction for monitoring and evaluation of IPC, and to set the priorities for strategic implementation of IPC in light of the gaps identified.




Minimum standards and recommendations for medical teams responding to highly infectious disease outbreaks


Book Description

Infectious diseases with epidemic potential remain a significant and constant threat to the health and security of populations around the world, requiring robust health emergency preparedness, readiness and response systems and capacities at local and national levels. Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), the EMT Initiative and its global network focus on establishing common quality standards and recommendations for medical teams to respond to health emergencies rapidly and effectively, as well as strengthening and supporting national capacities through strong collaboration and coordination. This publication defines minimum standards for the establishment of such critical capacities in a predictable and quality assured manner, and will enhance the interoperability between national, regional, and international capacities. This will contribute to the development and classification of respective specialized care teams (SCT) within the EMT framework and will provide guidance to member states, ministries of health, national and international EMTs and other key stakeholders to develop capacities and trainings, preparing for, or responding to outbreaks of highly infectious diseases.