GOARN Orientation Workshop

Session 2: What is GOARN?

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What is GOARN?

• Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network

• Global technical partnership, established by the World
Health Organization
• Key mechanism to engage the resources of technical
agencies beyond the United Nations for:
• Rapid identification
• Confirmation of event
• Response to public health emergencies of
international importance

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History of GOARN

• 1997: Outbreak verification mechanism established

• 2000: WHO, with key partner institutions, discussed Global Outbreak
Alert and Response
• 2001: WHA endorsed WHO’s international responsibility for global
security: epidemic alert and response (Resolution WHA 54.14)
• 2005: WHO Member States adopted IHR 2005
• Early network activities included Ebola, Nipah and influenza

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Who is GOARN?

Currently comprise of over 200 technical institutions and networks

globally that respond to acute public health events with the deployment
of staff and resources to affected countries
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The Structure

• Operational Support Group

• Steering Committee
• Technical Working Group
• Standing Sub-committee
• Network Members

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What does GOARN provide?

• Support to countries - access to resources, information exchange

and sharing of best practice, technology transfer
• Reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience, provide redundancy
• Alleviate costs, by improving the use/mobilization of resources, and
providing surge capacity
• Strengthen transparency and credibility, enhance dialogue and build
trust
• Recognized as the operational arm of the WHO/IHR

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GOARN and IHR

• International Health Regulations (2005)

represent an agreement between 196
countries including all WHO Member
States to work together for global
health security

• WHO coordinates international

outbreak response using resources
from GOARN

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GOARN and WHE

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GOARN and WHE (2)

Outcomes:

1. Countries prepared for health emergencies

2. Epidemics & pandemics prevented
3. Health emergencies rapidly detected & responded to
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GOARN and WHE (3)

GOARN is one of WHO’s

many Operational Partners
who are committed to
responding to disasters,
emergencies and civil strife
situations through the
Regional Framework on
Operational Partnerships

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GOARN Training

Tier 1 online training incorporates

information on WHO and WHE systems:
• Working with GOARN and WHO
• Basic and advanced security training
• Emergency Response Landscape &
Architecture (in development)
• Working in an international
multidisciplinary team (in
development)
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GOARN Training – e-modules

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GOARN Knowledge Platform

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How it works

Outbreak verified

Official request for assistance

OST assessment

OST requests assistance from partners

Partners respond with offers of assistance

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Contributions

• SARS, Asia: Teams of experts in epidemiology, microbiology/virology

and IPC to Hanoi and Beijing
• Cholera, Sierra Leone: Experts from icddr,b to train response capacity
of healthcare and laboratory workers in case management and
diagnosis
• Cholera, Iraq: Multidisciplinary team (6) deployed to camps (2007,
2012)
• Influenza (H1N1): supported outbreak response in US and Mexico
• Ebola, Guinea: First GOARN team sent within five days of first reports
of Ebola; 895 experts over the course of the outbreak
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Contributions in SEARO

• Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

• Myanmar H1N1
• Maldives H1N1
• Nipah virus outbreak, India
• Sulawesi earthquake
• Go.Data, Cox’s Bazar
• Dengue outbreak, Cox’s Bazar

• Research response
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GOARN in South-East Asia

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GOARN in South-East Asia (2)

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Ongoing Health Emergency Events

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Risk Profile of Member States

Indonesia is well-placed to
offer professionals who are
trained to assist in a range
of emergencies due to its
unique risk profile within
the region

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Where GOARN can assist

Type of disaster/outbreak Example of GOARN response

Earthquake Laboratory expertise; epidemiology and
alerts for cholera; management of water-
borne disease
Floods and tsunami WASH; laboratory specialists,
epidemiology and alerts for water-borne
disease, management of disease
outbreaks
Nipah Specialist knowledge on disease
management, laboratory support
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Epidemiology support, laboratory
expertise, specialized knowledge
Dengue Laboratory expertise, experts in clinical
management, epidemiology support

How can institutions from Indonesia support the GOARN response?

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Recent GOARN activity in SEARO

• Reactivation of partnerships
• Partners meetings
• Consultations
• Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka
• Acute response
• Myanmar H1N1
• Cox’s Bazar
• Nipah virus
• Dengue
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GOARN activity in SEARO – the future

• HR Capacity building
• Revitalization and expansion
• Alert and Risk Assessment
• Rapid Response Capacity
• Training
• Research Response
• Governance
• Synergistic approach:
• Bi-regional activities
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GOARN activity in SEARO – the future (2)

• Strengthen regional GOARN partners

• Roster of GOARN experts developed for WHE
• Sponsor developing country institutions for deployment
• System for local/within country deployments
• Twinning system between established and new or developing
GOARN partners
• Progression of research activities within GOARN

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