Operations Support and Logistics (OSL) is a critical function of the WHO Incident Management System. WHO South-East Asia Regional conducted the Emergency Readiness Training and Simulation Exercise from 25 to 28 April 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka with special focus on OSL. A total of 40 participants attended the meeting. This included 33 WHO Country Office staff, and seven facilitators from WHO Headquarter and South-East Asia Regional Office.
The programme was aimed at training participants on WHO’s guiding principles on Operations Support and Logistics (OSL) response to outbreaks and emergencies and prepare them to effectively perform in line with WHO’s commitment to Member States.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the participants to network and review the role of the OSL pillar of the Incident Management System, and relevant procedures and tools accessible to aid WHO‘s emergency response. The meeting focused on fostering interactions between participants from three levels of the Organization to gain insight from recent emergencies and practical case scenarios involving OSL response. Some of the key technical areas covered in the training included roles and functions of the OSL pillar, needs assessment and planning, concept of operations, and end-to-end supply chain management. Learnings were further consolidated through a Simulation Exercise (SimEx).
The training, being the first training on operations support and logistics in the Region, helped strengthen emergency readiness and response capacities in WHO Country Offices and Regional Office, and contributed to the initiation of the SEARO/ OSL Network.