Lessons Learned from a Cross-Border Field Simulation Exercise Between Kenya and Tanzania

Lessons Learned from a Cross-Border Field Simulation Exercise between Kenya and Tanzania Namanga, 11th to 14th June 2019 - Testing regional preparedness and response capacities to a fictitious outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Kenya and Tanzania Lessons Learned from a Cross-Border Field Simulation Exercise between Kenya and Tanzania Namanga, 11th to 14th June 2019 - Testing regional preparedness and response capacities to a fictitious outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Kenya and Tanzania Implemented by: Implemented by: In cooperation with: EPOS_145x50mm.pdf 1 10.02.17 12:09 ISBN 978-9987-786-00-8 Published by East African Community Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania 2019 Contents Abbreviations and Acronyms . 6 What Participants said about the FSX . .. 39 Foreword . 7 Lessons Learned from the FSX . 41 Setting the scene: An introduction . 8 The EAC’s coordination role . 41 Background . 10 The importance of cross-border collaboration. 42 The need to disseminate plans and SOPs more widely . 42 Why did the EAC Secretariat convene the Field Simulation Exercise? . 10 Funding an emergency response . 44 “A new phase of epidemics” . 10 Further strengthen the One Health approach. 44 Meeting international obligations . 10 Communicating risks and raising community awareness . .. 46 Preparation is the key to managing pandemics . 11 The importance of speedy diagnostics . 49 Building on lessons learned in West Africa . 11 Good coordination is critical in any outbreak scenario . 49 A One Health approach to integrated disease management . .. 12 Logistics are key to any emergency response . 50 Testing pandemic preparedness in the EAC . 13 Organising a cross-border field simulation exercise. 52 Months of planning . 13 Evaluating the evaluation . 55 Holding a Table Top Exercise . 14 Regional and international organisations and donors . 56 Designing the Field Simulation Exercise . 15 Applying the lessons learned to other disease outbreaks and future exercise . 57 Objectives . 15 The way forward . 57 The exercise scenario .. 15 Who took part? . 16 Lessons learned from the cross-border field simulation exercise at a glance . .. 59 Implementation of the FSX . .. 18 Recommendations from regional observers . 63 Day 1, 11th June . .. 18 Key findings and recommendations from the Post Exercise Evaluation Report in an overview . 64 Launch ceremony at the Namanga One Stop Border Post . 18 Key recommendations from the EAC . 69 The start of the exercise . 20 Conclusion . .. 70 Coordinating a complex operation . .. 20 Annexes . 71 Scripting the exercise scenarios . 22 Acknowledgements . 142 Scenario 1: On a Maasai boma in Tanzania . 23 Day 2, 12th June . .. 24 Scenario 2: Reporting to the local authorities . 24 Scenario 3: EAC Emergency Operations meeting . 25 Scenario 4: At the health facility . 26 Scenario 5: Mobile laboratory . 26 Scenario 6: At the slaughter house . 28 Scenario 7: At the One Stop Border Post . 28 Day 3, 13th June . .. 30 Scenario 8: Importing live animals . 30 Scenario 9: Passenger vehicle with smuggled meat . 31 Scenario 10: Community engagement . 32 Scenario 11: At the airports . 34 Day 4, 14th June . .. 35 Analysing the exercise . 35 The end of the exercise . 37 Further evaluation of the FSX . 37 4 Lessons Learned from a Cross-Border Field Simulation Exercise Between Kenya and Tanzania 5 Abbreviations and Acronyms Foreword AU CDC African Union CDC Infectious diseases have society on board and apply the concept of risk and crisis always been a stumbling communication, which proved crucial in turning the tide BNITM Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine block to human progress, of infections in West Africa. DTRA US Defense Threat Reduction Agency and they continue to foment massive loss of lives and The EAC region has convened table top exercises, drills EAC East African Community livelihoods and disrupt ERF East Rift Fever economic and social lives is by far the largest exercise the region has ever seen. Itand will even help cross-border us to assess fieldour pandemicsimulations preparedness before, but this EMG Exercise Management Group can’t forget the effects of the status and to identify existing gaps that compromise our EOC Emergency Operations Centre across the world. Humanity to 1919), the worst in histo- outcomes will allow us to facilitate practical corrective FAO/ECTAD United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization rySpanish that caused flu epidemic an estimated (1918 efficiency in prevention, response and mitigation. The Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases 50 million deaths. The Ebola way we protect our people in the region and beyond epidemic in West Africa in 2014-2016 took the lives of fromactions future at all health levels securityand will threatssignificantly of infectious influence nature. the more than 10,000 people and more than 30,000 were FSX Field Simulation Exercise FLI Friedrich Loeffler Institute for Research on Animal Health infected. I would like to extend my gratitude to the governments and people of the Republic of Kenya and the United The EAC Secretariat convened this cross-border Field Republic of Tanzania for hosting this important exercise GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Simulation Exercise (FSX) at a time when the Ebola and thank all those who contributed to planning, pre- epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) paring and realising this FSX. This includes our partners IHRKfW InternationalGerman state-owned Health Regulations Development Bank stands at the threshold of the EAC and presents a major from the Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC challenge to the health and socio-economic wellbeing of Region project, which the Deutsche Gesellschaft für In- OIEPOE WorldPorts of Organisation Entry for Animal Health the tip of the iceberg. The EAC region has experienced on behalf.

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