Okiror Samuel, Shukla Hemant, Davis Bob, Toure Brigitte, Hydarov Rustum, Burton John, Mukherjee Subroto, Bhui Bal Ram, Lutukai Mercy, Nwogu Chidiadi, Okeibunor Joseph
WHO Horn of Africa Coordination Office (HOA), Nairobi KENYA.
WHO Headquarters, Geneva.
J Immunol Sci. 2021 Apr 15;Spec Iss(2):1114. doi: 10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1114.
The WPV1, first detected in Somalia in April 2013, quickly spread to Kenya and Ethiopia and triggered a multi-country coordinated effort. In February 2014, a formal HoA Polio Outbreak Coordination Office was established by WHO AFRO and WHO EMRO in Nairobi to provide technical and managerial leadership. An independent assessment was conducted to ascertain the usefulness of the HoA Coordination in response to the outbreaks.
The independent assessment team conducted desk review of the rules and guidelines forming the HoA Coordination office and committee. It also reviewed minutes of meetings and interviewed various stakeholders at the Regional levels.
This independent review of the work of the office, in September 2016, showed that the office was fully functional and had benefited from financial and technical support from regional and global GPEI partners. The office is based in the WHO Kenya Country Office which also provides administrative, logistics and until August 2016, data management support. The close working relationship with technical partners ensured alignment and close coordination of outbreak response activities. The mechanism also allowed partners to identify areas of work based on their expertise and avoided duplication of efforts at the local level. Overall, the office was effective in close monitoring of implementation of the outbreak response, strengthening of cross-border activities, monitoring implementation of the TAG recommendations, improving SIA planning and quality, and expanding independent monitoring in Somalia and South Sudan. Key constraints included limited office space for day-to-day operations, and disruption of some activities due to interruption of contracts of technical staff. However, the closure of the HoA outbreak in August 2015 led to some complacency, resulting in a lost sense of urgency, negatively impacting the coordination.
The HoA Coordination Office should continue to function into the foreseeable future. To ensure sustainability of activities, the technical staff should be given contracts for a minimum of 12 months. The Office should reintroduce and schedule the Joint Polio Outbreak Response team meetings at least once every three months.
2013年4月在索马里首次发现的野生脊灰病毒1型（WPV1）迅速蔓延至肯尼亚和埃塞俄比亚，并引发了多国协调行动。2014年2月，世卫组织非洲区域办事处（WHO AFRO）和世卫组织东地中海区域办事处（WHO EMRO）在内罗毕设立了正式的非洲之角脊髓灰质炎疫情协调办公室，以提供技术和管理领导。开展了一项独立评估，以确定非洲之角协调在应对疫情方面的效用。
独立评估小组对构成非洲之角协调办公室和委员会的规则及指南进行了案头审查。还审查了会议记录，并采访了区域层面的各利益攸关方。
2016年9月对该办公室工作的这一独立审查表明，该办公室全面运作，并受益于区域和全球全球消灭脊灰行动（GPEI）伙伴的财政和技术支持。该办公室设在世卫组织肯尼亚国家办事处内，该办事处还提供行政、后勤支持，直至2016年8月还提供数据管理支持。与技术伙伴的密切工作关系确保了疫情应对活动的一致性和密切协调。该机制还使伙伴能够根据其专业知识确定工作领域，并避免了地方一级的工作重复。总体而言，该办公室在密切监测疫情应对措施的实施、加强跨境活动、监测技术咨询小组（TAG）建议的实施、改善补充免疫活动（SIA）规划和质量以及扩大在索马里和南苏丹的独立监测方面发挥了有效作用。主要制约因素包括日常运作的办公空间有限，以及由于技术人员合同中断导致一些活动受到干扰。然而，2015年8月非洲之角疫情的结束导致了一些自满情绪，造成紧迫感丧失，对协调产生了负面影响。
非洲之角协调办公室应在可预见的未来继续运作。为确保活动的可持续性，应给予技术人员至少为期12个月的合同。该办公室应重新安排并至少每三个月举行一次脊髓灰质炎联合疫情应对小组会议。
