Over the years, Uganda has successfully responded to public health emergencies including Ebola, COVID-19, measles, anthrax, and others. This has been partly attributed to strong leadership and early rapid execution of outbreak response strategies.

In a significant move to strengthen the country’s ability to combat infectious diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the AVoHC-SURGE training for 100 emergency responders in Uganda. AVoHC is a reference to Africa CDC’s African Volunteer Health Corps initiative while SURGE is a reference to WHO’s initiative, on Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies.

This intensive training, funded by the UK Government, kicked off on August 5, 2024, and will run until 24 September 2024. The program blends in-person and virtual learning, offering a comprehensive curriculum that includes public health emergency operations, humanitarian coordination, gender-based violence response, and rapid response team deployment.

AVoHC-SURGE, a collaboration between WHO and Africa CDC, is part of a broader initiative to enhance health security across Africa. The AvoHC-SURGE training is part of the SURGE component of the emergency preparedness and response flagships which include Promoting resilient systems for emergencies (PROSE), Transforming Africa surveillance system (TASS) and Strengthening&Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE). The flagships were launched by WHO Africa regional office in 2022 to address the continent’s urgent need for robust emergency preparedness and response in the African region. Subsequently, WHO and Africa CDC joined forces to collectively develop the AVoHC-SURGE roster.

Uganda now joins 20 other African nations that have initiated the AVoHC-SURGE training which equips responders to tackle crises within their own borders and across the African region. Participants, drawn from WHO member states, civil society, and volunteer organizations, will be at the forefront of national and regional emergency responses, backed by WHO and Africa CDC. The overall goal of the training is to build a resilient national health system capable of responding swiftly and effectively to public health emergencies.

“The globalized, interconnected world we live in amplifies the risks of infectious diseases and other emergencies. A trained and ready national workforce is our first line of defense,” said Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, Uganda’s Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health.

This training not only fortifies Uganda’s existing emergency response infrastructure but also ensures a steady supply of skilled personnel at both national and sub-national levels. It reinforces the leadership of national governments and enhances the resilience of health systems, enabling them to respond swiftly and effectively to public health threats.

This is an opportunity for Uganda to strengthen existing structures to respond more efficiently and effectively to crises and public health emergencies, limit interruption of essential health services, minimize socio-economic disruptions and contribute to enhancing global health security,” said Dr. Christine Musanhu Chiedza, WHO Representative in Uganda, OIC.

The program is led by subject matter experts from WHO, Africa CDC, and WAHO. The experts have over 10 years of experiences in their area and domain of facilitation. “All facilitators have completed various courses and are certified,” said Mukeh Kenneth Fahnbulleh, the lead facilitator and trainer.

With over 100 major public health events occurring annually in the African region, the need for a ready and capable workforce has never been more pressing. Recent emergencies have highlighted the urgent need for a workforce within the WHO African region, that is ready, willing, and able to operate, in increasingly challenging environments. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of being prepared, and Uganda is taking proactive steps to ensure it can meet future challenges head-on.

Supported by WHO, Uganda is embracing a multidisciplinary One Health approach that promotes the well-being of people, animals, and the environment. This approach ensures that when crises strike, Uganda will have a highly trained workforce ready to respond and protect the health of its citizens and those in African region.