Training of Trainers Workshop on Simulation Exercises for Northern Regional Coordination Centre Member States in Tunisia

Hosted from 27 to 31 October 2024 in Tunis, Tunisia, the workshop was designed to enhance capabilities in designing, conducting, and evaluating health emergency simulation exercises among Africa CDC and Member State professionals.

The event gathered 37 participants, including public health officers from Africa CDC headquarters, Africa CDC RCCs, and experts from the seven Northern RCC member states. Facilitators from the United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) added further expertise, working alongside ECDC and Africa CDC staff and led the workshop with methodological guidance.

Throughout the sessions, participants engaged in foundational simulation exercise topics, covering areas such as exercise design, scenario development, resource planning, and evaluation techniques. A highlight of the workshop was the table-top exercise on the final day, providing participants with an opportunity to apply their skills in a simulated environment, thereby reinforcing preparedness for real-world health emergency situations.

Both Africa CDC and ECDC reaffirmed their commitment to further empowering RCC teams to extend simulation exercise trainings across African Union Member States, contributing to a more resilient, unified public health response framework across the continent.

Africa CDC – ECDC Partnership

This workshop is part of the Africa CDC – ECDC Partnership project, an initiative funded by the European Commission to strengthen Africa CDC’s preparedness framework. This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to building workforce capacity for managing infectious disease outbreaks in African Union Member States.