Training Course on Resilience In Action: National Health Emergency Planning Training Course

Module 1: Foundations of National Health Emergency Planning
Learning Objectives:
Explain the role of emergency planning in national health security.
Analyze international frameworks guiding national preparedness.
Subtopics:
Core concepts of national health security and resilience
WHO International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA)
National Disaster Risk Reduction frameworks and health integration
Key components of a National Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
Case Study / Exercise:
Case: Singapore’s national preparedness framework during SARS and COVID-19
Exercise: Gap analysis of an existing national emergency plan

Module 2: Risk Assessment and Strategic Preparedness Planning
Learning Objectives:
Conduct national risk assessments and hazard mapping.
Develop preparedness strategies tailored to country contexts.
Subtopics:
Hazard, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessments (HVRA) at national level
Prioritization of health threats and vulnerabilities
Scenario planning and simulation-based forecasting
Preparedness for biological, environmental, technological, and complex emergencies
Case Study / Exercise:
Case: Risk assessment for pandemic influenza preparedness in the UK
Practical: Designing a national hazard map and preparedness matrix

Module 3: Governance, Coordination, and Multi-Sectoral Collaboration
Learning Objectives:
Strengthen governance systems and inter-agency coordination for emergency planning.
Align national, regional, and global response mechanisms.
Subtopics:
Governance structures for national health emergency planning
Role of Ministries of Health, Civil Protection Agencies, and international partners
Inter-sectoral coordination: linking health with security, environment, and economy
Crisis leadership and decision-making at the national level
Case Study / Exercise:
Case: Rwanda’s coordinated governance model for Ebola preparedness
Role-play: Conducting a multi-agency national coordination meeting

Module 4: Resource Mobilization, Logistics, and Operational Readiness
Learning Objectives:
Ensure adequate resource mobilization and readiness for national emergencies.
Build operational systems for rapid response.
Subtopics:
Mobilizing and sustaining financial resources for national preparedness
National-level stockpiling, procurement, and supply chain management
Surge workforce planning and capacity building
Use of digital technologies and information systems in emergency readiness
Case Study / Exercise:
Case: U.S. Strategic National Stockpile and its deployment during COVID-19
Simulation: Designing a resource mobilization and logistics plan for a national emergency

Module 5: Resilience and Future-Ready National Health Systems
Learning Objectives:
Embed resilience into long-term national planning.
Evaluate and improve national emergency plans through lessons learned.
Subtopics:
Building adaptive, flexible, and future-ready health systems
Monitoring and evaluation of national health emergency plans
Lessons learned from global pandemics and disasters
Creating a roadmap for resilient national health systems
Case Study / Exercise:
Case: Post-disaster national health system rebuilding in Nepal
Capstone Project: Designing a national health emergency preparedness strategy for participants’ countrie