Infectious Hazard Management, Eastern Mediterranean Office, World Health Organization.
Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Razia Sharif Plaza, Fazle-Haq Road, Blue Area, Islamabad, Pakistan.
J Infect Public Health. 2018 May-Jun;11(3):352-356. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2017.09.018. Epub 2017 Oct 10.
Influenza pandemics are unpredictable and can have severe health and economic implications. Preparedness for pandemic influenza as advised by the World Health Organization (WHO) is key in minimizing the potential impacts. Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework is a global public-private initiative to strengthen the preparedness. A total of 43 countries receive funds through Partnership Contribution (PC) component of PIP Framework to enhance preparedness; seven of these fall in the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region. We report findings of a desk review of preparedness plans of six such countries from the Region.
The assessment was done using a standardized checklist containing five criteria and 68 indicators. The checklist was developed using the latest WHO guidelines, in consultation with influenza experts from the Region. The criteria included preparation, surveillance, prevention and containment, case investigation and treatment, and risk communication. Two evaluators independently examined and scored the plans.
Pandemic preparedness plan of only one country scored above 70% on aggregate and above 50% on all individual criteria. Plans from rest of the countries scored below satisfactory on aggregate, as well as on individual preparedness criteria. Among the individual criteria, prevention and containment scored highest while case investigation and treatment, the lowest for majority of the countries. In general, surveillance also scored low while it was absent altogether, in one of the plans.
This was a desk review of the plans and not the actual assessment of the influenza preparedness. Moreover, only plans of countries facilitated through funds provided under the PC implementation plan were included. The preparedness scores of majority of reviewed plans were not satisfactory. This warrants a larger study of a representative sample from the Region and also calls for immediate policy action to improve the pandemic influenza preparedness plans and thereby enhance pandemic preparedness in the Region.
流感大流行是不可预测的，可能会对健康和经济造成严重影响。按照世界卫生组织（WHO）的建议做好大流行流感的准备工作是将潜在影响降到最低的关键。大流行流感防范（PIP）框架是一个全球公私合作倡议，旨在加强防范能力。共有 43 个国家通过大流行流感防范框架的伙伴关系捐款（PC）部分获得资金，以增强防范能力；其中有 7 个国家属于世卫组织东地中海区域。我们报告了对该区域 6 个此类国家的防范计划进行桌面审查的结果。
使用包含 5 个标准和 68 个指标的标准化检查表进行评估。检查表是根据最新的世卫组织指南制定的，并与该区域的流感专家协商制定。标准包括准备、监测、预防和控制、病例调查和治疗以及风险沟通。两名评估人员独立检查和评分。
只有一个国家的大流行防范计划综合评分超过 70%，所有个别标准的评分均超过 50%。其余国家的计划综合评分以及个别防范标准的评分均不令人满意。在个别标准中，预防和控制得分最高，而病例调查和治疗得分最低，这在大多数国家都是如此。一般来说，监测得分也较低，而在其中一个计划中则完全没有。
这是对计划的桌面审查，而不是对流感防范实际情况的评估。此外，仅包括根据 PC 实施计划提供资金的国家的计划。大多数审查计划的防范得分都不令人满意。这需要对该区域有代表性的样本进行更大规模的研究，并呼吁立即采取政策行动，以改进大流行流感防范计划，从而增强该区域的大流行防范能力。
