7 May 2018 – Dr John Jabbour, WHO Representative in Egypt, and Dr Alaa Eid, Head of the Preventive Sector, Ministry of Health and Population, inaugurated a 2-day training course, on 2 and 3 May 2018, as a preparatory meeting for Egypt's joint external evaluation (JEE) exercise. The training course was organized by WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population.
Eighty (80) technical staff from the Ministries of Agriculture, Environmental, Civil Aviation, Foreign Affairs, Interior, Trade and other concerned institutions attended the course.
The course aimed to provide national stakeholders with the information and resources necessary to successfully participate in the JEE process, and provide them with guidance on initial self-evaluation requirements for the JEE process. The workshop started with a presentation of the objectives and adoption of agenda, and an introduction to the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). Participants were then divided into 6 groups to work on self-assessment tool and presentation:
- Legislation, policy and finance, IHR coordination, communication and advocacy, and reporting
- Preparedness, emergency response operations, medical countermeasures and personnel deployment
- Real time surveillance, immunization, workforce development
- Antimicrobial resistance, biosafety and biosecurity and national laboratory system
- Zoonosis, food safety and points of entry
- Chemical events, radiation emergencies, risk communications.
The JEE tool and process are key components of the WHO IHR monitoring and evaluation framework. The JEE tool has been developed and the process is being implemented to be fully aligned with related efforts such as the Global Health Security Agenda and the World Organisation for Animal Health’s Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway.
The purpose of the external evaluation process is to measure country-specific status and progress in achieving the targets identified. The JEE helps countries identify the most critical gaps in their human and animal health systems in order to prioritize opportunities for enhanced preparedness and response, and to engage with current and prospective donors and partners to most effectively target resources.
