The IHR Strengthening Project (IHR-SP) recently partnered with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) to provide basic simulation exercise (SimEx) management training. The training was provided to 31 participants from sub-national and national Public Health Emergency Operation Centres (PHEOCs) to enhance their knowledge and skills to design and run simulation exercises.

This was part  of an ongoing plan to establish a SimEx programme within EPHI and subnational public health institutes. IHR-SP and partners supported EPHI to plan and run a Marburg functional exercise as well as a mpox tabletop exercise in September 2024.

IHR-SP technical advisors supported the training by collaborating on planning, SimEx material development and delivering the training, in addition to financial support.

The objectives of the training were:

  1. enhancing participants’ knowledge on the concepts of the emergency preparedness cycle and the function of Simulation Exercise within it
  2. enhancing participants’ skills and knowledge on Simulation Exercise Management, enabling them to design and conduct public health emergency simulation exercises.

The training was opened by Dr. Melkamu Abte, EPHI Deputy Director General, who emphasised the importance of such trainings to design and perform SimExes, which is one of the four IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. He also outlined EPHI plan to develop a PHEOC strategic plan which will further enhance SimEx program establishment in EPHI.

Image above: EPHI leadership and participants at the opening of the training

Over the course of five days, the training used mixed techniques to achieve its objectives including theoretical presentations, practical sessions with SimEx material development and mock exercise sessions with roles played by trainees.

The training was closed by Mrs. Ebise Abose, National PHEOC Manager, who mentioned that strengthening the national and sub-national SimEx program is one of the top priorities for the national PHEOC team, and thanked participants for their active engagement.  IHR-SP is committed to further strengthen the SimEx program establishment at EPHI by supporting SimEx management training manual development and training provision based on the next year IHR-SP priority.