Around the world Posted on 2021-03-08 08:51:19
Network initiatives
GET Prepared
A toolbox for emergency preparedness
Keywords
Authors
F. Rosso (1) & S. Gaynor (1)*
(1) The European Commission for the Control of Foot and Mouth Disease (EuFMD), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
* Corresponding author: eufmd@fao.org.
The designations and denominations employed and the presentation of the material in this article do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the OIE or FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries.
The views expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the author(s). The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by the OIE or FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
The user interface
The user interface is shown as a wall (Fig. 1). Each component of emergency preparedness is represented by a brick in the wall. The wall conveys the idea of building preparedness, and the bricks indicate that the process is continuous. The coloured layers represent the foundations and different epidemiological phases of the animal disease event (alert – emergency – reconstruction).
The tools
The tools include resources already developed by EuFMD, such as the EuFMDis model (a multi-country, FMD outbreak simulation model), an FMD impact calculator and e-learning courses. New tools will be developed within the EuFMD workplan in collaboration with the European Commission and EuFMD Member Nations. During audits carried out in Member Nations, the European Commission (SANTE.DDG2.F.2) has identified good practices and resources, and countries are asked to share these. While existing tools focus mainly on FMD, many of the new tools will be generic and able to be adapted for similar transboundary animal diseases. A number of the tools will be of use to countries other than EuFMD Members, although some will be tailored to meet European Union legislative requirements.
Assessment tools
The GET Prepared toolbox will also include assessment tools to facilitate the identification of gaps and areas for improvement in preparedness, such as rubrics (scoring guides), online tools including calculators and questionnaires, or checklists.
Timeline and prioritisation of components
The development of the different components will be prioritised according to the needs of EuFMD Member Nations. The GET Prepared toolbox is expected to be fully available online by October 2021. Resources will be progressively added, and initiatives to promote the use of the tool will be launched.
Access to the toolbox
These resources will be accessible by all EuFMD members and other countries, taking into consideration intellectual property rights and the need for support to use the different tools.
| For more information, please visit the GET Prepared web page |
http://dx.doi.org/10.20506/bull.2020.2.3156
