Avian Influenza and the Pandemic Threat

Agencies’ Achievements and Course of Further Action (as per revised log-frame)

6.1 Contingency planning for continuity of operations during a pandemic, including preparation for humanitarian actions under pandemic conditions (WHO alert  phases 5 and 6)

68. Minimizing the disruption of vital services during a pandemic by ensuring continuity of operations of all stakeholders is of paramount importance. UN agencies, funds and programmes as well as their partners need to prepare themselves for a pandemic, so that they can continue their operations when the pandemic starts and sustain key humanitarian programmes. They also need to assist Governments in developing national pandemic preparedness plans so that key services continue to function under pandemic conditions. This includes advice on appropriate use and timing of prevention and control measures such as isolation and quarantine, promotion of personal hygiene and ‘social distancing’.

69. As of August 2007, 140 UN Country Team (UNCT) contingency plans have been completed, covering staff safety and the organizations’ continuity of operations. However, most of these plans are still to be tested and will be revised by 31 October 2007. OCHA, through its Pandemic Influenza Contingency team (PIC) and UNSIC have been supporting the efforts of UN country teams in this regard.  Contingency plans of the UN Secretariat, UN agencies, funds and programmes at HQ level, Economic Commissions and DPKO missions are also well under way.

70. Simultaneously, UN agencies, funds and programmes and their partners, are working together according to their respective expertise to encourage governments and provide support upon request to develop and test by simulation national pandemic preparedness plans. They are advocating that governments give due attention to vulnerable groups such as refugees, migrants, women and children.  They also support governments to integrate pandemic preparedness into existing national disaster management processes as well as disease surveillance and control plans and to develop and implement information and communication strategies promoting behaviors that will minimize transmission of the H5N1 virus.

70.1 WHO is supporting countries in the development of disease surveillance and control infrastructure as well as of pandemic preparedness plans, primarily in the health sector. It is preparing itself to lead the global health response to a pandemic and is equipping its regional and country offices to carry out expanded functions during a pandemic.

70.2 OCHA/PIC is developing an online readiness tracker system of indicators that measure and monitor pandemic preparedness progress within both UN country teams and national governments. It is also developing best practice materials to help governments and UN country teams in their preparedness efforts and is advising UN country teams on how best to support national authorities. OCHA/PIC is working with IFRC to stimulate complementary actions between the UN and civil society. It is arranging meetings at various levels to promote inter-agency coherence and agree priority inter-agency actions to strengthen humanitarian readiness. The experience and assets of OCHA for preparing for, responding to, and coordinating major disasters will be applied to the context of a pandemic. 

70.3 UNDP is spearheading the building of national capacity for disaster preparedness and is strengthening its business continuity capacity, working closely with UNICEF on the development and roll out of a business continuity training strategy.

70.4 UNHCR country offices, in coordination with governments and UN country teams, are involved in AHI preparation of contingency plans and are advocating for the inclusion of the refugee communities in the AHI plans of countries hosting these communities. UNHCR is also developing preparedness activities at camp level (for camps that have a refugee population larger than 5000) and creating appropriate conditions to ensure continuity of operations for basic assistance delivery such as food, water and basic health services during a pandemic. UNHCR will work closely with WFP for anticipating pandemic consequences on food pipelines and adapting storage strategy accordingly.

70.5 IOM is strengthening its capacities to respond to the needs of migrants and mobile populations during a pandemic and to ensure that they are duly taken into account in national pandemic contingency plans.

70.6 UNICEF, in close coordination with other UN agencies, funds and programmes is refining its strategy for continuity of operations and is also developing a generic training for continuity planning that can be adapted and used by others in providing for effective humanitarian support to vulnerable groups in a pandemic. UNICEF is working, as part of the UN country team to support national planning to identify critical, life-saving programmes that must be continued under pandemic conditions, with modalities of implementation to reduce close contact between individuals and address the needs of children and their families across all sectors. It is also working to strengthen links with existing community-based communication networks to inform, protect, and mobilize.  These will be vital for the needed behavior changes to reduce virus transmission in a pandemic and provide appropriate care for people at home when health services are stretched. UNICEF will continue to act around two primary foci:  1) communicating for behavior changes and preparedness for a pandemic in collaboration with WHO, and 2) identifying and implementing preparedness actions in sectors critical to the well-being of children and their families during a pandemic.

70.7 WFP has developed its corporate contingency plan for pandemic environments and a strategy for continuity of operations.  It is now working on reinforcing the organization’s resilience, with so far 10 country offices in Asia equipped with ICT recovery kits. WFP has also developed a Hazard and Risk analysis on pandemic resilience using baseline data from a variety of international organizations. On the basis of this analysis, a global map has been produced with an index on the AHI risk and capacity country by country.

70.8 FAO and OIE are strengthening a rapid and targeted response and control activities for HPAI’s animal health sector to deal with the side effects of a pandemic in the sector and its associated infrastructure and systems.

70.9 UNWTO is building resilience to the impacts of a pandemic in the tourism sector by strengthening communications through a support campaign using existing networks and resources. It will further develop its portal www.sos.travel as a two-way communication system for programme planning with ministries of tourism in the world’s poorest countries as well as in developed countries and provide relevant computer system hardware and training. UNWTO has also developed a multi-stakeholder scenario based on simulation and conducted two International Simulation Exercises, one for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the other for Asia and the Pacific. A third exercise is scheduled for the Americas.

70.10 ICAO is addressing the possible impacts a pandemic will have on the aviation sector by developing an aviation related preparedness plan.  Two meetings on the subject were held in Singapore last year and a Working Group agreed on pandemic planning guidelines for States, airports and airlines. Through cooperative arrangements between the participating States/administrations and airports ICAO started to implement these guidelines in Asia with a project  aimed at reducing the risk of air travelers spreading avian influenza and similar communicable diseases, and reducing the financial impact from an outbreak by having an efficient management plan in place. A Regional Area Medical Team is being established and is due to meet on 11 – 12 October in Bangkok. The project will be next implemented in Africa and a meeting is planned to be held in Gabon by end of November.

70.11 ILO has launched efforts to better prepare the workplace for a pandemic, using its unique tripartite structure to address the concerns of governments, employers and workers.  

71. Finally, the UN is working with civil society organizations, the military, the private sector and the Red Cross movement to facilitate a coordinated response to meeting humanitarian needs in a pandemic. IASC members will identify in prioritized countries which agency has the capacity to meet what needs and will develop inter-agency country humanitarian plans.