IGAD Concludes Cascaded PHEM Training for Cross-Border Frontline One Health Staff

Machakos: The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through its Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE) Project funded by the Pandemic Fund, successfully concluded a five-day Cascaded Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Training for frontline One Health staff working in cross-border regions. The training was held at Maanzoni Hotel in Machakos County, Kenya.According to EMM, this strategic training brought together surveillance officers and public health experts from border districts of Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan, alongside technical representatives from IGAD, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa CDC, and AFENET.The primary objective was to build the operational capacities of frontline personnel to detect, verify, and respond to public health events in cross-border areas-high-risk zones for the emergence and spread of epidemic and pandemic threats. Participants were equipped with practical tools and knowledge in Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) management, Incident Management System (IMS), risk communication, emergency coordination, and the One Health approach.