One Health Capacity Building

Building our global capability to respond to (re-) emerging zoonotic pathogens

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Disease Outbreak Preparedness and Management

Outbreaks of animal diseases or other animal health-related events have the potential to cause serious socio-economic and public health consequences for a country, by profoundly disrupting trade and food security.

How we collectively and individually respond to these emergencies depends greatly on preparing fully during "peacetime". These preparations should be recognised as some of the more important core functions of national animal health services.


This Disease Outbreak Preparedness and Management course aims to put you and your colleagues in a better position to respond to the next animal disease outbreak and identify preparedness/response processes within your organisations that would benefit from strengthening.


Course content

The Disease Outbreak Preparedness and Management course is provided entirely online. Candidates can study at their own pace, but the course should take a total of around 6 hours to complete.

Topics covered include:

  • Planning for animal health emergencies
  • Coordinating an outbreak response
  • Biosafety

Each module provides a range of information, resources and activities for candidates to work through.

The aims of the course are to provide:

  • Theoretical and practical guidance on developing, reviewing and updating emergency plans for managing outbreaks of notifiable diseases
  • The details needed to establish command structures and communicate epidemiological information effectively during an outbreak
  • Guidance on the standards required when handling zoonotic pathogens

The objectives are that by the end of the course the candidate will be able to:

  • Outline the four phases of emergency disease planning
  • Name the main documents that make up an emergency plan and their function
  • Explain who should be involved in the coordination of a disease outbreak response
  • Understand the different types of epidemiological advice required to deal effectively with an exotic disease outbreak
  • Appreciate the value of preparedness training and simulation exercises
  • Recall the five steps of the biological risk assessment process
  • Describe how containment measures should be used to prevent the accidental release of pathogens

Once the course is complete, there is an online examination, which comprises of 10 multiple choice questions to be answered in 30 minutes.

After passing the online examination, candidates will be able to download and print off a certificate of completion.

 

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