US-backed project to test PH preparedness against infectious diseases

MANILA, Philippines – A United States backed project aims to test the country’s overall “pandemic preparedness,” and discuss ways to mitigate the effects of serious infectious diseases brought about by floods and natural disasters.

Dubbed as “Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Disaster,” the project brings together more than 175 representatives from the country’s public and private entities, as well as US government agencies, in a meeting this week to tackle efforts to enhance effective regional responses to public health threats.

In a statement, the US embassy in Manila said the project came in the wake of the urgent need to address emerging infectious diseases such as bird flu and swine flu, and to discuss ways to limit the damage before a pandemic event occurs with even more serious impacts.

“The Pandemic Disaster Exercise is aimed at increasing the Philippines’ capacity to respond and to mitigate the effects of a widespread disease outbreak, for the benefit of local communities, national response, and regional preparedness against pandemic threats,” it quoted US Agency for International Development (Usaid) Deputy Mission Director Reed Aeschliman as saying during a speech at the opening of the event.

It said that the exercise would test pandemic preparedness plans developed over the past year. It noted that the event started Monday and would end on Friday, when the stakeholders would discuss the findings of the exercise.

It said that the interactive project, characterized by a public-private partnership approach, would allow stakeholders to evaluate the application of strategic plans, and improve the exchange of information among them since they “rarely have the opportunity to work together unless a disaster occurs.”

It said the stakeholders would focus on three critical elements of good governance during large-scale disasters namely: emergency management protocols, essential services supporting societal infrastructures, and risk communications. It said they would prioritize activities that would “save lives and support societal infrastructure in the event of a regional pandemic.”

“Impacts and losses can be substantially reduced if all sectors of society are well prepared and ready to act in the event of a disaster. The added benefit of this exercise is that the approach can be applied to disasters brought about by floods, typhoons or even environmental contamination due to technological hazards.  Any of these can threaten our nation at any time,” it quoted National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Undersecretary Benito Ramos as saying in a statement.

The project is led by the NDRRMC through the Office of the Civil Defense. It is supported by the USAID, the United States Pacific Command, United States Marine Forces Pacific, the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine, and U.S.-based non-governmental organization International Medical Corps.