Public health emergencies (PHEs) arising from epidemic, pandemic prone diseases and other PHEs continue to be major concern in Member States of the WHO African Region which threaten national, regional, and global public health security. A Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) serves as a hub for coordinating the preparation for and response to PHEs. It brings together multisectoral and multidisciplinary experts to coordinate emergency management efforts in a structured manner using the Incident Management System (IMS)

It is against this background that the Health Information and Research Directorate (HIRD) with technical support from WHO Namibia conducted a high-level orientation held from November 28th to 30th, 2023 in Windhoek aimed to elevate the competencies of our management team in responding to public health emergencies. Its primary objective was to equip participants with essential skills and core capacities crucial for effectively managing emergencies with significant public health implications.

The keynote address was delivered by Ms Taimi Amaambo, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) Deputy Executive Director; Regional Health and Social Welfare who set the tone for the training and emphasized the significance of the training to attain health security for the country. Welcoming remarks were delivered by various health developmental including representatives from Robert Koch Institute (RKI), US CDC and WHO. Ms Roselina De Wee, the WHE Team Lead delivered the WHO welcoming remarks on behalf of Dr Mary Brantuo, Officer In Charge, WHO Namibia. In her speech she emphasised the importance of preparedness with the following quote “"It's not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." "The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare."

The training focused on detailing the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005 ) and their relevance in Public Health Emergency Management, emphasizing compliance and best practices; introduction to PHEOC (Public Health Emergency Operations Centre), exploring the fundamental concepts, functionalities, and operations of a PHEOC in managing public health emergencies. The meeting also provided an opportunity for the NPEC/NCC to engage the management and discuss issues related to the Polio Eradication Programme in Namibia and the enhancement of polio surveillance in the regions to ensure that Acute Flaccid Paralysis cases are promptly detected, reported, and investigated

About 60 managers representing the National and Regional health directorates, the Office of the Prime Minister, and Africa CDC participated in the training. The cadres trained include regional directors of health, deputy directors, medical superintendents, chief medical officers, senior medical officers, chief health programme officers, chief social workers and control administration officers. This training was coordinated by MoHSS Epidemiology Division, Health Information Research Directorate in partnership with the World Health Organization Country office in Namibia, The Global Fund, and the Robert Kock Institute.

The managers expressed their appreciation for the training and based on the scores obtained at the post evaluation, learning took place and managers are confident to use the Incident Management System and activate their Emergency operating centers if needed. Regions acknowledged that they are at different levels of having an EOC, however it should not prevent them from responding using the principles of the IMS. In addition, the facilitation team provided the links for various online trainings which will further strengthen their capacities. Managers will also be invited as part of the second cohort of Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE) training planned for 2024 as part of the Flagship Initiative under Health Emergencies.