Introducing www.epidemic-em.org: A Collection of Online Resources and Training Materials for Strengthening use of Emergency Operations Centers for Epidemic Response.

OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to demonstrate that a website, www.epidemic-em.org, encompassing "static" resources, and videos, as well as other tools, can be used to strengthen public health emergency management capacity during epidemic response. METHODS: Existing resources were updated and developed for self-directed Emergency Operations Centers' capacity strengthening, in order to encompass current best practices, and to emphasize how public health emergency management concepts can support epidemic response activities. These materials formed the core of the website, launched in June 2020, to which country case studies were added. In 2021, a pilot virtual training program was designed using recorded video lectures and interviews with global experts in addition to the website material, which was delivered to South African responders. RESULTS: The website has been accessed in more than 135 countries, demonstrating widespread reach and interest in online and freely accessible materials to support public health emergency operations. Over 30 people participated in the pilot virtual training, and the evaluation showed improvement in knowledge, confidence in using emergency management concepts for epidemic response, and positive feedback on the virtual modality. CONCLUSIONS: Online tools can expand access to materials and resources for public health emergency management capacity strengthening. Virtual modalities can further serve as a powerful complement, and perhaps replacement, for traditional in-person technical assistance, despite some limitations.

Building Simulation Exercise Capacity in Latin America to Manage Public Health Emergencies.

Simulation exercises, whether discussion- or operations-based, are an essential component of public health emergency preparedness and response-so much so that the ability to conduct exercises is included as a key indicator for measurement of emergency response operations in the Joint External Evaluation and as a requirement of the International Health Regulations. Exercises allow ministry of health partners to actually practice and demonstrate their learned capacities and show progress toward those global health security goals. In recent years, the general technique in the global health security arena has been for external partners to design, facilitate, and evaluate public health emergency exercises for ministry of health partners. However, in 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global Response Preparedness Team (GRPT) piloted regional training for ministry of health representatives from 4 countries in Latin America to build their internal capacity to design, facilitate, and evaluate simulation exercises using the US Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Using this program as the source material, the team modified the content for application to an international audience, facilitated it as a 4-day workshop, and designed an evaluation protocol to measure participants' satisfaction with the course as well as their ability to apply concepts learned in their day-to-day jobs. Representatives of 3 of the 4 ministries of health that attended the workshop designed exercises to implement in their home countries, with 2 having completed the facilitation and evaluation of their exercises at the time of this publication.