Maseru - As part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Flagship Initiative to ensure health security in Africa, the Government of Lesotho recently launched the AVoHC-SURGE onboarding training for 50 responders.

The training formed part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship Initiative Roadmap launched on March 19, 2024, with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and funding from the Foreign, Common wealth and Development Office, FCDO.

In 2023, the country enrolled in the WHO EPR Flagships initiative with the overarching goal of promoting health security in the African Region and contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 – “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages”.

During the launch of the training the EPR Flagship Coordinator, Zewdu Assefa Edea highlighted that WHO is implementing three Emergency, Preparedness, and Response flagship initiatives which are (i) promoting the resilience of systems for emergencies (PROSE) (ii) transforming African surveillance systems (TASS), and (iii) strengthening and utilizing response groups for emergencies (SURGE). This training is part of the four pillars of SURGE's flagship initiative, specifically the workforce pillar.

He added that the AVoHC-SURGE training would be provided in two phases. The first phase is the onboarding training while the second phase involves specialized in-depth training. The coordinator noted that participants were drawn from multiple sectors considering the One Health approach and were selected through a rigorous process led by the multisectoral selection committee.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, WHO Representative to Lesotho, Dr. Richard Banda stated that this initiative, coordinated by WHO and Africa CDC, aims to strengthen Member States’ capacity to prepare for, detect, and respond to health emergencies.

Dr. Banda reiterated WHO’s commitment to continue working with the Government and partners to build a strong, multidisciplinary workforce for health emergencies in the country.

After one month of intensive training, 49 responders with a drop out of one responder were graduated and rostered for deployment to respond to health emergencies in country or out of the country.

In his closing remarks during the graduation, the Chairperson of the Social Cluster for Lesotho, Hon. Mokhothu Makhalanyane thanked WHO for their continuous financial and technical support to strengthen the health sector.

“The Kingdom of Lesotho is excited about this training as it focuses on enhancing SURGE capacity in the country during public health emergencies, by equipping professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to ensure quality care delivery under intense pressure”, says Hon. Makhalanyane.

Chief Executive of Disaster Management in Lesotho, Reatile Elias stressed the need for a multi-sectoral approach to disaster management in the country.

“One of the key issues we need to focus on as a country is building resilience not only when disaster happens. All ministries and departments need to have focused plans and prioritize resilience activities. Let us be mindful of the risks that are out there. We can together build a more resilient economy for Lesotho”, says Elias.

In her closing remarks, WHO Acting Country Representative, Dr. Mary Stephen said the launch and endorsement of the EPR Flagship Initiative roadmap marked a significant milestone towards strengthening emergency preparedness response through the “One Health Approach” in Lesotho.

“The AVoHC-SURGE training is not just about enhancing our capabilities; it is about building a robust network of professionals Regionally (WHO AFRO) who are prepared to act swiftly and effectively within 24-48 hours in the face of public health emergencies”, says Dr. Stephen.

In addition, Dr. Lul Riek, Regional Coordinator for the Southern Africa Region Coordinating Center of the Africa CDC, noted that this achievement demonstrates a commitment to strengthening health systems, timely detection, and responding to emergencies.

Dr. Riek reminded the AVoHC-SURGE responders that they are part of a global network of healthcare heroes writing a new chapter in public health history.

Mabatlokoa Mahlelebe, a Police Officer working on gender-based violence (GBV) issues described the training as helpful.

“This exercise helped me to improve my understanding of GBV and the best approaches to help the survivors. We have been equipped with the knowledge on how best we can work in emergencies”, says Mahlelebe.

Another participant, Dr. Mapaseka Motale from the Ministry of Agriculture, appreciated the sessions on risk communication o and community engagement. “I have learned that community engagement is very important in decision making and we must explain everything to the community in the language that they understand”, says Dr. Motale.

Lesotho is one of 23 countries currently implementing the flagship initiative and it is the 18th country where at least a module of the training is being conducted. 17 countries have completed the onboarding training.