ZIMBABWE’S Public Health Emergency Outbreak Operation Centre (PHEOC) is expected to be launched by end of February amid indications that all is set to operationalise it, HealthTimes has learnt.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
This centre comes as part of the recommendations by the World Health Organisation promoting the use of one tool to streamline the response: a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC).
Epidemiology and Disease Control Director in the Health and Child Care Ministry Dr Portia Manangazira appreciated the support offered by the WHO and Higher Life Foundation towards the establishment of this centre.
In this instance particularly Higher Life Foundation, they have been assisting us in renovating space within Parirenyatwa Hospital where we are more than 80 percent ready to start operating a National Emergency Operations Centre. It’s a centre which is going to be national nerve centre for coordination of health disaster emergencies,” she said.
She said the centre will reduce the burden on her office on outbreak responses.
“So at least it will separate the functions and allow efficiency of both other EDC work and a dedicated centre that will coordinate disaster emergencies. This is in line with the Africa union where our heads of state and government go and make decisions.
“It’s also in tandem with WHO and CDC who have come up with guidelines to assist member states to come up with those emergency operation centres. I again want to acknowledge support from WHO country office. They have availed all the experts,” said Dr Manangazira.
Dr Manangazira said local technical experts will travel to Nigeria, coordinating the Emergency Health Response for West Africa and or Zambia coordinating that of the Southern African region.
“I again want to acknowledge support from WHO country office. They have availed all the experts to assist in the coming up of this emergency centre including an opportunity to travel to other countries so that we can fine tune our own. So this is something that you will be hearing about in the next few weeks. Its also a project that has been accepted as part of the 100 day Ministry of Health projects so its receiving quite a bit of priority and we would also want to welcome your input into that,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer for Higher Life Cholera Elimination Secretariat Dr Tolbert Mucheri told this publication that the tentative launch date should be end of February this year.
The team leader of the Cholera Secretariat Dr Farai Charasika last year said the construction of the EOC is being funded by HigherLife Foundation.
Dr Charasika said the first phase cost US$1, 5 million dollars with the whole project estimated to be valued at US$9million.
“In terms of investment, Phase one is an investment of US$1, 5 million which we are currently working in. but there is an estimate which we are still to verify because of the fluctuating prices based on the costings that we have received that possibly this could go up to US$9 million we have received for the next two phases. That last figure is a moving target,” he said. “Once this is place, the Ministry will be able to respond to diseases in time and make sure that even small outbreaks are contained. And that there will be no further spread of outbreaks.”
The core components of a PHEOC include plans and procedures; physical infrastructure; information and communication technology infrastructure; telecommunications systems; and human resources.
