Boosting effective laboratory services in emergencies: WHO field exercise

The simulation exercise walked the participants through a fictional, yet realistic, public health emergency scenario where several concurrent emergencies took place in different parts of a country called Globalland.

This scenario allowed participants to activate protocols needed in different types of emergencies and to test their adherence to the RRML Minimum Operational Standards.

8 teams shipped their rapid response equipment to the exercise site and went through customs procedures.

The IFX-01 focused on small and medium box-based units, examining their testing and analysis capacities. Click on the related link to learn more about what’s in a mobile laboratory.

Participants had the opportunity to observe RRMLs under field conditions, as they tested and applied emergency response coordination and deployment mechanisms...

...as well as diagnostic sample reception and transport systems, data exchange and joint in-field logistic support.

The simulation exercise covered the coordination and joint work of RRMLs with other responders, such as Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) and Health Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs). 4 international EMTs and 1 EOC participated in the exercise in Istanbul.

“I would encourage as many countries as possible to learn from each other. By doing so, we can strengthen the health systems of different countries and work together in regional or international teams to provide assistance in any part of the world,”...

...said Millicent Ndia, who was representing the East African Community (EAC) mobile laboratory network established by the Bernard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine.

“When emergency response teams are deployed to disaster-stricken areas, the presence of public health teams is crucial for a sense of security.

...The analyses conducted in mobile laboratories and subsequent guidance enable emergency response teams to be more effective in the field,” noted Dr Şükrü Yorulmaz, Head of Disaster and Emergency Medical Department, Türkiye Ministry of Health.

After the field simulation exercise, debriefing sessions identified the challenges and advantages teams faced during their deployment to Globalland...

...including feedback from observers and validators who worked throughout the exercise to document the applicability and feasibility of the RRML Minimum Operational Standards.

The Interregional RRML Network Meeting, held during the field simulation exercise, brought together major partners, technical experts, and stakeholders from all WHO regions.

The discussions focused on the network's vision and values for the next decade. To learn more about the RRML Network, click on the explainer video in the related links.