Risk Assessment Exercises

In 2015 in Paris, the public health working group held a risk assessment exercise on West Nile virus (WNV) to facilitate discussions on surveillance integration and the applicability of the European Centre for Disease and Control (ECDC) tool in a non-European context. The feedback was positive, and the exercise provided a valuable opportunity for participants to learn and exchange ideas. The outcomes of this exercise can help improve the ECDC tool and facilitate the development of effective WNV control strategies.

In 2016, a public health workshop was held in Belgrade to conduct a multisector exercise on integrated Risk Assessment for Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in the region. Like the previous year, the exercise aimed to strengthen surveillance capacities of beneficiaries on multi-sectoral/integrated rapid risk assessment (RRA) for CCHF, as well as encourage multi-sectoral collaboration and exchange. Results showed that four out of eleven countries assessed a low or low/moderate risk, five assessed a moderate risk, and two assessed a moderate/high risk. The workshop successfully promoted multisector team building and expertise exchange.

In 2017, the 3rd multisector exercise on risk assessment was organized in Tunis, the objective was to strengthen surveillance capacities of beneficiaries on multi-sectoral/integrated Risk Assessment (RA) for Rift Valley Fever (RVF). The exercise fostered small group discussions on RVF surveillance in the region and assessed the level of risk at the country level using the FAO methodology for Risk Assessment in Niger. The exercise also encouraged multi-sectoral collaboration and exchange, enabling participants to describe how a multi-sectoral/integrated RA for Rift Valley Fever (RVF) could be conducted, discuss the pros and cons of the ECDC RA tool, and propose ways to improve it. In summary, the public health workshop effectively carried out a hands-on activity on RVF risk assessment by adopting an integrated and intersectoral method within the framework of One Health. It also facilitated the sharing of knowledge and collaboration among participants from various sectors. The attendees expressed contentment with the exercise's quality and recognized its accomplishments in fulfilling its goals.