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Quest Training

IHR Implementation & Public Health Emergency Operations Training Course

Covers putting the International Health Regulations into practice: National IHR Authority and Focal Point roles, event-based surveillance and PHEOC activation.

PHES · Public Health, Environment & Sustainability ManagementAll Levels#3001ClassroomEnglish , Arabic
Duration
5 Days
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Free substitution at any time · 30+ days' notice: full refund minus 10%. Cancellation policy

Sectors:Healthcare & Hospital ManagementCategories:Public Health, Environment & Sustainability Management

Course Overview

The IHR Implementation & Public Health Emergency Operations Training Course is a practical program for the national institutions that turn the International Health Regulations, as amended, into working systems. Where general emergency management courses address organizational preparedness, this course concentrates on the specific obligations of States Parties: establishing or designating a National IHR Authority and a National IHR Focal Point, detecting and assessing public health events, notifying and consulting with the World Health Organization, and running a Public Health Emergency Operations Center that can be activated quickly. The amended Regulations strengthen the role of national authorities, introduce a pandemic emergency determination alongside the public health emergency of international concern, and place greater emphasis on coordination, equity and accountability for core capacities. Many countries still need to clarify legal mandates and the working links between ministries of health, public health institutes, points of entry and other sectors. The course examines these arrangements through self-assessment reporting, joint external evaluation, simulation exercises and after-action reviews. Participants work through the operational chain from signal to response: indicator-based and event-based surveillance, signal triage and verification, rapid risk assessment, the Annex 2 decision instrument, PHEOC activation levels, incident management structures and coordination with port, airport and ground-crossing health authorities. Risk communication and community engagement are covered from a management and governance perspective rather than a clinical one. Through case studies, tabletop simulations and workshops based on realistic national scenarios, participants will produce a structured gap analysis of their national IHR arrangements, draft terms of reference for key IHR functions and a PHEOC activation framework that can be tested, reviewed and improved.

Learning Objectives

  • Analyze the structure, scope and key amendments of the International Health Regulations and their national implications.
  • Define the mandates and coordination relationships of the National IHR Authority, the National IHR Focal Point and other competent authorities.
  • Assess national legislation and institutional arrangements against IHR obligations and identify legal and administrative gaps.
  • Evaluate national core capacities using self-assessment reporting, joint external evaluation and the IHR monitoring and evaluation framework.
  • Design integrated indicator-based and event-based surveillance processes that detect, triage and verify public health signals.
  • Apply rapid risk assessment methods to characterize hazard, exposure and context and to determine the level of public health risk.
  • Apply the Annex 2 decision instrument to determine which events require notification to the World Health Organization.
  • Develop a Public Health Emergency Operations Center concept of operations, activation levels and incident management structure.
  • Strengthen coordination between ministries of health, public health institutes, points of entry, One Health partners and emergency agencies.
  • Plan public health measures and contingency arrangements at designated airports, ports and ground crossings.
  • Integrate risk communication, community engagement and information management into public health emergency operations.
  • Prepare a national IHR implementation and PHEOC improvement plan informed by simulation exercises and after-action reviews.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for National IHR Focal Point staff, public health emergency managers, PHEOC managers and duty officers, heads of surveillance and epidemiology units, health security planners, port and airport health officers, public health legal and policy advisors, risk communication leads, and professionals responsible for detecting, assessing, reporting and coordinating the response to public health events. It is also highly relevant to senior officials, directors and decision makers within ministries of health, national public health institutes and centers for disease control, civil defense and emergency management agencies, customs and border authorities, civil aviation and maritime authorities, and the animal health and environment sectors that share One Health responsibilities. The program is particularly suitable for professionals establishing or strengthening a National IHR Authority, reviewing national core capacities, or building and operating a Public Health Emergency Operations Center.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the purpose, structure and key amendments of the International Health Regulations.
  • Distinguish the roles of the National IHR Authority, the National IHR Focal Point and other competent authorities.
  • Assess national legal and institutional arrangements against IHR obligations and recommend practical improvements.
  • Interpret self-assessment and joint external evaluation results to prioritize core capacity gaps.
  • Design surveillance workflows that combine indicator-based and event-based information sources.
  • Triage and verify public health signals and maintain a complete, documented event record.
  • Conduct rapid risk assessments and communicate the resulting risk levels clearly to decision makers.
  • Apply the Annex 2 decision instrument to support consistent and well-documented notification decisions.
  • Develop a PHEOC concept of operations with clear activation levels and incident management roles.
  • Coordinate public health measures and contingency plans at designated airports, ports and ground crossings.
  • Plan simulation exercises and after-action reviews that test and improve emergency arrangements.
  • Prepare an actionable national IHR implementation and PHEOC improvement roadmap.

Course Outline

Course Outline:

Day 1

The International Health Regulations and National Governance Arrangements

  • Purpose, scope and guiding principles of the International Health Regulations
  • Key amendments to the Regulations and their implications for States Parties
  • Public health emergency of international concern and pandemic emergency determinations
  • Roles of the World Health Organization, States Parties and the IHR Emergency Committee
  • Establishing or designating a National IHR Authority and defining its mandate
  • National IHR Focal Point functions, continuous accessibility and communication channels
  • Reviewing national public health legislation against IHR obligations
  • Multisectoral and One Health governance arrangements for health security
  • Practical application: Map a national IHR governance structure and draft terms of reference for the National IHR Authority
Day 2

IHR Core Capacities, Monitoring and National Planning

  • IHR core capacity requirements for surveillance, response and points of entry
  • The IHR monitoring and evaluation framework and its four components
  • State Party self-assessment annual reporting and data quality
  • Joint external evaluation process, indicators and use of the findings
  • Simulation exercises and after-action reviews as evaluation tools
  • Prioritizing capacity gaps within a national action plan for health security
  • Costing, financing and resource mobilization for IHR implementation
  • Linking IHR capacities with health emergency and disaster risk management
  • Practical application: Analyze gaps in selected core capacities and prioritize actions for a national health security plan
Day 3

Surveillance, Event Verification and Rapid Risk Assessment

  • Indicator-based and event-based surveillance and how they complement each other
  • Signal sources: media, communities, laboratories, health facilities and other sectors
  • Signal triage, verification and event logging procedures
  • Early warning, alert and response functions at national and subnational levels
  • Rapid risk assessment of hazard, exposure and context
  • All-hazards risk profiling and seasonal risk calendars
  • Applying the Annex 2 decision instrument to notification decisions
  • Verification requests, consultation and information sharing with WHO
  • Practical application: Triage incoming signals, verify a priority event, assess its risk and reach a notification decision
Day 4

Public Health Emergency Operations Center Management

  • Purpose, core functions and minimum requirements of a PHEOC
  • Legal authority, policy group and strategic oversight arrangements
  • Concept of operations, activation levels and escalation and de-escalation triggers
  • Incident management system roles: management, operations, planning, logistics and finance
  • PHEOC plans, standard operating procedures and decision protocols
  • Information management, situation reports and a common operating picture
  • Staffing, surge rosters, training and duty officer arrangements
  • Risk communication and community engagement within the incident structure
  • Practical application: Run a tabletop PHEOC activation for an evolving public health event, from alert to full activation
Day 5

Points of Entry, Exercises and Continuous Improvement

  • Designated points of entry and their routine and emergency capacities
  • Public health emergency contingency plans for airports, ports and ground crossings
  • Coordination with civil aviation, maritime, customs and immigration authorities
  • Health measures and documents for travelers, conveyances and goods under the IHR
  • Ship sanitation certificate administration and conveyance inspections
  • Designing simulation exercises to test IHR and PHEOC arrangements
  • Conducting after-action reviews and tracking corrective actions
  • Building a phased national IHR implementation roadmap
  • Final workshop: Develop a national IHR Implementation and PHEOC Improvement Plan covering governance, surveillance, risk assessment, activation, points of entry and exercises

Upcoming Dates

Selected date

Dammam · 13 – 17 Dec 2026 · Classroom

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CityDatesPrice per ParticipantEarly Bird
BakuScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€4,800—
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AmsterdamScheduled
9 – 13 Nov 2026€5,400—
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BangkokScheduled
16 – 20 Nov 2026€6,100—
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BeirutScheduled
22 – 26 Nov 2026€4,000€3,600until 2 Nov
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BarcelonaScheduled
23 – 27 Nov 2026€5,400€4,860until 2 Nov
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CairoScheduled
29 Nov – 3 Dec 2026€3,300€2,970until 9 Nov
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Cape TownScheduled
7 – 11 Dec 2026€5,100€4,590until 16 Nov
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CasablancaScheduled
7 – 11 Dec 2026€4,300€3,870until 16 Nov
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DammamScheduled
13 – 17 Dec 2026€4,200€3,780until 23 Nov
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DohaScheduled
20 – 24 Dec 2026€4,400€3,960until 30 Nov
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ErbilScheduled
27 – 31 Dec 2026€3,100€2,790until 7 Dec
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DubaiScheduled
27 – 31 Dec 2026€4,400€3,960until 7 Dec
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FrankfurtScheduled
4 – 8 Jan 2027€5,800€5,220until 14 Dec
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GenevaScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€6,300€5,670until 21 Dec
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IstanbulScheduled
11 – 15 Jan 2027€4,700€4,230until 21 Dec
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JeddahScheduled
17 – 21 Jan 2027€4,200€3,780until 28 Dec
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KigaliScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€5,100€4,590until 4 Jan
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Kuala LumpurScheduled
25 – 29 Jan 2027€4,400€3,960until 4 Jan
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LisbonScheduled
1 – 5 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 11 Jan
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MadinahScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€4,200€3,780until 18 Jan
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LondonScheduled
8 – 12 Feb 2027€5,600€5,040until 18 Jan
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MadridScheduled
15 – 19 Feb 2027€5,400€4,860until 25 Jan
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MakkahScheduled
22 – 26 Feb 2027€4,200€3,780until 1 Feb
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MuscatScheduled
1 – 5 Mar 2027€5,300€4,770until 8 Feb
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ManamaScheduled
1 – 5 Mar 2027€4,700€4,230until 8 Feb
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OnlineScheduled
7 – 11 Mar 2027€1,700€1,530until 15 Feb
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SalalahScheduled
15 – 19 Mar 2027€5,300€4,770until 22 Feb
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ParisScheduled
15 – 19 Mar 2027€5,700€5,130until 22 Feb
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AbujaScheduled
22 – 26 Mar 2027€5,100€4,590until 1 Mar
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AmmanScheduled
28 Mar – 1 Apr 2027€3,100€2,790until 8 Mar
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Available in: Istanbul · Dubai · London · Doha · Amsterdam

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