D:APS

Short Description

Upon request by the World Health Organization/Global Outbreak and Response Network (WHO/GOARN) and/or project countries RKI staff supports international outbreak investigations. The coordination of the deployment of RKI staff and the administrative and logistic support for the international assignments are crucial for the effectiveness of any mission. The Global Health and Biosecurity Unit of the RKI is tasked to facilitate the preparation and execution of the RKI missions.

Aims of the Project

• Administratively managing the RKI missions
• Providing logistic support for the RKI missions
• Facilitating internal and external communication (Embassies in project countries, German Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Supporting the budget management

Status

A standard operating procedure (SOP) for the planning, application, trip execution and follow-up for duty travels abroad was adopted and published on October 23, 2017 via RKI-News and through the intranet. Furthermore the SOP addresses issues of occupational safety, occupational medical care and additional legal regulations such as accident insurance. 

The SOP focuses on resource-limited countries and/or countries with challenging climatic conditions.

Since April 2017, 27 security briefings had been undertaken. In 2017, a total of 60 staff members were instructed in 35 security briefings covering 18 different countries. In four countries, RKI staff was deployed for missions to support infectious disease outbreak control measures. First Aid training in the field was offered and two RKI staff participated in hostile environment awareness training. A two-days workshop was conducted for project staff from BfArM, BNITM, PEI and RKI to introduce them to the film making, lighting and how to tell a story. The aim of the workshop was to support the visual documentation of the projects.

• 2016
  • West Africa (Ebola fever)
• 2017
  • Benin (Lassa fever)
  • DR Kongo (Ebola fever)
  • Madagascar (Pulmonary plague)
  • Nigeria (Hepatitis-E)
• 2018
  • Bangladesh (Diptheria)
  • Benin (Lassa fever)
  • DR Kongo (Ebola fever)
  • Madagaskar (Pulmonary plague)
  • Nigeria (Lassa fever)
  • Sri Lanka (Dengue fever)

Last update: July 2021