On behalf of GIZ, we conduct disease outbreak simulations to strengthen disease surveillance in Liberia

In Liberia, the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) has subcontracted Health Focus to strengthen community event-based surveillance (CEBS) and related integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) activities to build adequate skills of key personnel and strengthen surveillance functions in the three GIZ intervention counties of Grand Kru, Maryland and River Gee, with a focus on district and, to a more limited extent, county levels. More specifically, the intervention supports established mechanism for the coordination of national level policy advice, as well as local IDSR and CEBS implementation in the three target counties. It further trains, mentors and supports staff of local health facilities and communities, including community health promotors (CHPs). Health Focus is working with Partners In Health (PIH) and Samaritan’s Purse Liberia (SPL) as implementing partners.

As a conclusion to the above capacity building efforts, three tabletop outbreak simulation exercises (TTXs) were conducted in parallel with Grand Kru, Maryland and River Gee counties in Liberia from 01^st to 06^th March 2023. The exercise was supported technically by the Health Focus team of consultants, and involved the GIZ Health Programme, as well as the Ministry of Health (MoH) and National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL).