The tool is used for ongoing country support visits by joint missions from ECDC, the European Commission, and WHO EURO. The tool follows the main components of the European Commission communication on pandemic influenza preparedness and response planning in the European Community, the WHO global influenza preparedness plan, the WHO checklist for influenza pandemic preparedness planning, and existing country preparedness plans.

The idea of these acid tests is that those responsible for local services can use them to assess whether the can deliver what is expected of them in a crisis. They should be applied along with planning assumptions of 20-30% of staff being off sick for short periods (2 to 3 weeks) just when numbers of people seeking or requiring care increases considerably.

This is part of the pandemic preparedness assessment tool for Europe, developed by the Unit for Preparedness and Response at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm, in collaboration with the European Commission and the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe.

ECDC presentational tool to visualise the multi-dimensional aspects needed to ensure adequate preparedness for a pandemic (September 2008). This tool highlights aspects that national authorities need to consider in order to move towards full preparedness across in three crucial dimensions: from plans through practise (exercises) to preparedness; from national level planning to operational planning for local and front line staff; and from health sector to multisectoral approach.

The objective of this Excel sheet and the accompanying Word document is to provide a simple template for evaluations of National Pandemic Responses in European Union (EU) and EEA member states