Table 4 Prioritized set of recommendations
Recommendation | Acceptance strength | |
|---|---|---|
Governance | ||
1 | Emergency preparedness should be integrated in national health strategies, financing and plans. | Universal acceptance |
2 | National IHR Focal Points functions and operations should be in place as defined by the IHR (2005) | Universal acceptance |
3 | Public Health authorities (i.e. decision-makers) should establish communication policies and procedures to develop, coordinate, and disseminate information related to an event of public health concern. | Universal acceptance |
4 | Multi-sectoral emergency risk management policies and legislation include public health treats | Majority acceptance |
5 | A national Public Health Emergency Preparedness Plan should be developed, kept updated or endorsed by e.g. National Competent Body. | Majority acceptance |
6 | Preparedness planning should include a self-assessment, involving identification of gaps and possible solutions, human resources capacity, relevant national stakeholders. | Majority acceptance |
7 | Preparedness planning should include assessing and strengthening existing capacities (structures/services, staff equipment, written plans for preparedness, standard operating procedures). | Majority acceptance |
8 | Preparedness planning should include appropriate medical countermeasures to protect the health of the Member States population | Majority acceptance |
9 | Preparedness planning should ensure cross-sectorial collaboration and clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders. | Majority acceptance |
10 | Priority public health risks and resources should be mapped and utilized | Majority acceptance |
11 | A specific national framework should be in place for priority threats (such as pandemic Influenza) across all sectors. | Majority acceptance |
12 | Infection prevention and control standards should be established and functioning at national and hospital levels. | Majority acceptance |
13 | Laboratory services should be available to test for priority health threats | Majority acceptance |
14 | Preparedness should involve national, regional and global networks | Majority acceptance |
15 | Collaboration between countries should be in place to maintain high levels of preparedness | Majority acceptance |
16 | Information related to an event should be disseminated to the public, in order to explain the outbreak, to establish confidence and to minimize the risk of infection | Majority acceptance |
Capacity building & maintenance (Education, training & simulation exercise) | ||
1 | Education, training and exercises should be part of an organization’s preparedness planning activities. | Universal acceptance |
2 | Skills and competences of public health personnel should be strengthened to sustain public health surveillance and response at all levels of the health system | Majority acceptance |
3 | Public Health authorities should assess the level of preparedness through simulation exercises. | Majority acceptance |
4 | Training, exercises and incident reviews should be used to understand and improve risk management procedures and to strengthen capacities. | Majority acceptance |
5 | Initial aims and objectives of education, training, and exercises should be evaluated and lessons learned documented in a report. | Majority acceptance |
Surveillance | ||
1 | Public Health authorities should have an indicator-based surveillance system in place (e.g. syndromic surveillance or mortality surveillance). | Majority acceptance |
2 | Public Health authorities should have an epidemic intelligence system in place. | Majority acceptance |
3 | Public Health authorities should participate in EU surveillance networks. | Majority acceptance |
4 | The surveillance system should meet EU & WHO standards with regard to epidemiological data on all diseases under EU surveillance, their case definitions, and reporting protocols. | Majority acceptance |
5 | The surveillance system should generate an early warning signal of a possible event of public health concern. | Majority acceptance |
6 | Surveillance data should be systematically and regularly reported to the relevant sectors and stakeholders | Majority acceptance |
Risk assessment | ||
1 | Alerts and early warnings should be assessed based on a joint analysis of the surveillance and other available data | Universal acceptance |
2 | Risk assessment should be used to aid preparedness planning of response activities. | Universal acceptance |
3 | A risk assessment team should be assembled to assess the risks of a (possible) event of Public Health concern. | Majority acceptance |
Risk- and crisis management | Majority acceptance | |
1 | An emergency operational program should be in place involving an Emergency Operations Centre, Operating Procedures and Plans, and the capacity to activate emergency operations. | Universal acceptance |
2 | Specific procedures should be in place for activation and deactivation (‘stand-down’) of the health emergency response. | Majority acceptance |
3 | Countries should have a tested command and control structure with clear roles and responsibilities. | Majority acceptance |
4 | Multidisciplinary and multi-sectorial Rapid Response should be established and available 24 h a day, 7 days a week. | Majority acceptance |
5 | Based on the gathered data, the effectiveness of response activities should be frequently evaluated | Majority acceptance |
6 | Public Health authorities should develop a comprehensive communication strategy to engage with all relevant stakeholders such as public health professionals, media and public, non-health sectors, etc. | Majority acceptance |
7 | During an event, consistent messages should be disseminated by a trusted authority. | Majority acceptance |
Post-event evaluation | ||
1 | Public Health authorities should assess the level of preparedness by evaluating events of public health concern. | Majority acceptance |
2 | Post-event evaluations should be part of an organization’s preparedness planning activities. | Majority acceptance |
3 | Lessons learned from all relevant sectors should be systematically recorded in a post-event report. | Majority acceptance |
Implementation of lessons learned | ||
1 | Experiences and lessons learned, coming forth from post-event evaluation or exercises, should be used to improve preparedness and response activities. | Majority acceptance |
2 | Experiences and lessons learned, coming forth from post-event evaluation or exercises, should be used to improve policies and practice. | Majority acceptance |