Volume 23, Supplement—December 2017
SUPPLEMENT ISSUE
Global Health Security Supplement
Respond
Establishment of CDC Global Rapid Response Team to Ensure Global Health Security
Table
Challenges encountered during response to the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa and GRRT mitigation strategies
Challenge | GRRT strategy |
---|---|
Limited in-country capacity to detect and respond to disease outbreaks (1) |
Support the development of national outbreak detection and response systems |
Wide range of technical expertise required to address needs of a large outbreak response (1) | Recruit team members with a wide range of technical expertise and experience |
Train responders in multiple technical areas for high-risk diseases |
|
Establishing working partnerships with governments and partner organizations for more efficient coordination (1,19,20) | Train responders on working with partner organizations, incident management systems, cultural sensitivity, and foreign languages |
Recruit dedicated, ready responders who can mobilize for up to 6 mo for stronger partner relationships and improved coordination |
|
Short mobilizations (traditionally 30 d) and frequent rotation of staff disrupted continuity of response activities (19,20) | Recruit dedicated responders who are available and ready to mobilize for up to 6 mo if needed |
Expand the typical mobilization length of those in leadership roles | |
Develop best practices and systems for information management in field response |
|
Responder preparation and readiness (19) | Strengthen safety, security, and responder wellness training through a GRRT orientation |
Support continuous learning by offering frequent technical trainings on priority topics | |
Track responder international travel–related mobilization requirements, training, and clearance compliance | |
Obtain supervisor preapproval for mobilizations during on-call months |
|
Identifying appropriate responders (19) |
Roster GRRT responders and tracking skills and experience to match staffing needs |
Limited foreign language capacity (20) |
Develop a program to develop and validate foreign language capacity |
Logistical support for field efforts (19) | Roster a group of dedicated and surge logisticians who can mobilize to provide support directly to responders in the field or coordinate with Atlanta-based logistics personnel to provide support |
*GRRT, Global Rapid Response Team.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks chronology: Ebola virus disease [cited 2017 Feb 24]. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/history/chronology.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa–case counts [cited 2017 Mar 2]. https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/case-counts.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Why global health security matters [cited 2017 Feb 24]. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/security/why.htm
- World Health Organization. International Health Regulations. 2nd ed. Geneva: The Organization; 2005.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global health security agenda: action packages [cited 2017 Mar 2]. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/security/actionpackages/default.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The global health security agenda [cited 2017 Feb 24]. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/security/ghsagenda.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC’s role in global health security [cited 2017 Mar 2]. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/security/cdcrole.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global Disease Detection (GDD) Operations Center [cited 2017 Mar 2]. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/gddopscenter/index.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response: overview [cited 2017 Mar 2]. https://www.cdc.gov/phpr/about.htm
- Rouse EN, Zarecki SM, Flowers D, Robinson ST, Sheridan RJ, Goolsby GD, et al. Safe and effective deployment of personnel to support the Ebola response—West Africa. MMWR Suppl. 2016;65:90–7.PubMed
- World Health Organization. Joint External Evaluation tool: International Health Regulations (2005) [cited 2017 Mar 2]. http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/204368
- Pan American Health Organization. Epidemiological Alert: neurological syndrome, congenital malformations, and Zika virus infection. Implications for public health in the Americas, 1 December 2015 [cited 2017 Mar 27]. http://www2.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&Itemid=270&gid=32405&lang=en
- World Health Organization. Fifth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) regarding microcephaly, other neurological disorders and Zika virus [cited 2017 Mar 2]. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/zika-fifth-ec/en/
- World Health Organization. Yellow fever—Angola [cited 2017 Mar 2]. http://www.who.int/csr/don/14-june-2016-yellow-fever-angola/en/
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, situation report no. 20 (8 November 2016) [cited 2017 Mar 2]. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/sitrep_20_-_haiti_08_nov_2016_-_en.pdf
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, situation report no. 25 (25 November 2016) [cited 2017 Mar 2]. http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA%20Situation%20Report%20%2325%20Hurricane%20Matthew%20Haiti%2025%20Nov%202016%20FINAL.pdf
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