WHO launches new Horizon X Programme for One Health emergency preparedness
/health-security-preparedness-(hsp)/country-simulation-exercises-and-reviews-(cer)/20240924_who_tabletop_simulation_exercice_pal_2690_065_m.tmb-1200v.jpg?sfvrsn=d15bea37_3)
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently launched the Horizon X programme at an inter-agency simulation exercise (SimEx). Horizon X is a new multi-year initiative aimed at enhancing multi-sectoral emergency zoonotic disease preparedness and response.
Horizon X will focus on strengthening coordination, communication, collaboration, and country capacity and impact across One Health sectors, promoting continuous learning, and improving response strategies. The programme will be guided by the 7-1-7 metrics, a set of performance benchmarks aimed at improving the timeliness and effectiveness of outbreak detection and response.
This new programme will enhance preparedness by identifying system gaps before emergencies occur; strengthen multisectoral coordination at the human-animal-environment interface, using a One Health approach; promote continuous learning and improvement in response strategies across sectors; and align with the One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022-2026), a five-year plan that aims to strengthen collaboration and capacities across all sectors to effectively address health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface.
Dr Landry Ndriko Mayigane, WHO, and Dr Richard Garfield, US CDC, during the Interagency SimEx © WHO / Pierre Albouy
Horizon X was launched during an inter-agency SimEx to test the early detection, notification, and response to zoonotic diseases. The two-day inter-agency discussion-based SimEx was held on 23 – 24 September 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland and was designed to discuss plans, procedures, and systems for dealing with different types of health emergencies.
The exercise brought together 40 experts from various organizations, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Resolve to Save Lives, United States Agency for International Development, United Kingdom Health Security Agency, WHO, and World Organization for Animal Health.
The SimEx identified areas for improvement in current systems, allowing for proactive measures to be implemented before emergencies occur. This enabled participants to refine response strategies based on the insights gained during SimEx. The SimEx also fostered better coordination among human, animal, and environmental health sectors, by bringing key actors together highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in managing zoonotic events.
A SimEx simulates an emergency to which a described or simulated response is made. The purpose of a simulation exercise is to test and improve plans, procedures, and systems for dealing with different types of emergencies.
The next interagency SimEx is planned for summer 2025 to initiate the rollout of Horizon X, building upon the successes and lessons learned from the previous SimEx. The exercise will aim to improve zoonotic disease preparedness by testing new response strategies developed under Horizon X. It will serve as a crucial step in ensuring that all sectors are equipped to collaborate effectively in the face of future zoonotic disease outbreaks.
link