The World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WHO/WPRO), in partnership with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization – Tropical Medicine and Public Health (SEAMEO-TROPMED) Network, organized the Regional Training Course on Health Emergency Response Operations (HERO). This was conducted on 14-18 December 2009 in Manila, Philippines.

The course was held to strengthen the capacity of Member States to conduct health emergency operations. It also aimed to enhance the capacity of health professionals to respond to emergencies and disasters.

Participants were emergency response managers and hospital and public health administrators from countries in the Western Pacific Region including China, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

The course covered the entire framework of health emergency operations through lectures, group discussions and sharing of experiences from different countries and government levels. The training included essential topics including:

• Basic Principles in Emergency Response Operations Emergency
• Operations Centre
• Information Management
• Rapid Health Assessment
• Logistics Management
• Coordination
• Risk Communication
• Public Health in Emergencies
• Impact of Emergencies in the Health System.

The participants also visited local- and national-level emergency operations centres in Manila.

At the end of the five-day training, the participants were able to grasp the essential principles and basic components of health emergency response and integrate them within the wider framework of the public health system. They emphasized the value of coordination and partnership with other sectors, whether public or private, local or international. The training concluded with the important concept that emergencies and disasters are opportunities to improve the entire health system.

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