Title: Public health emergency management capacity building in Guinea: 2014-2019

Authors: Lise D. Martel; Michael Phipps; Amadou Traore; Claire J. Standley; Mohamed L. Soumah; Appollinaire Lamah; Abdoulaye Wone; Michael Asima; Alpha M. Barry; Mahawa Berete; Aurelia Attal-Juncqua; Rebecca Katz; Alexandre Robert; Idrissa Sompare; Erin M. Sorrell; Yakaria Toure; Antoine Morel-Vulliez; Sakoba Keita

Addresses: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA ' US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA ' National Agency for Health Security (ANSS in French), Ministry of Health, CKRY001, Guinea ' Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington DC, 20057, USA ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, CKRY001, Guinea ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, CKRY001, Guinea ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, CKRY001, Guinea ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, CKRY001, Guinea ' Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington DC, 20057, USA ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, Guinea ' Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington DC, 20057, USA ' Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington DC, 20057, USA ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, CKRY001, Guinea ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, CKRY001, Guinea ' Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington DC, 20057, USA ' National Agency for Health Security (ANSS in French), Ministry of Health, CKRY001, Guinea ' International Organization for Migration, Conakry, CKRY001, Guinea ' National Agency for Health Security (ANSS in French), Ministry of Health, CKRY001, Guinea

Abstract: Before the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak of 2014-2016, Guinea did not have an emergency management system in place. During the outbreak, Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) 2014-2019 funds made it possible to rapidly improve the country's capacity to manage epidemics through the development of public health emergency operation centres (PHEOCs) at the national and district levels. Since the end of the response, the infrastructure, staff, and systems of these PHEOCs have been further reinforced and well-integrated in the daily activities of Guinea's National Agency for Health Security, the entity responsible for the management of epidemics. The development of PHEOCs as emergency management tools for epidemics in Guinea would not have been possible without a strong endorsement within the Ministry of Health. Guinea's PHEOC network is well-positioned to serve as a model of excellence for other Ministries in Guinea and Ministries of Health of other countries of West Africa.

Keywords: emergency management; EOC; emergency operation centre; West Africa Ebola response; capacity building; GHSA; Global Health Security Agenda; Guinea; Ebola virus disease; incident management system.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEM.2020.112302

International Journal of Emergency Management, 2020 Vol.16 No.2, pp.179 - 200

Received: 23 Nov 2019
Accepted: 09 Jun 2020
Published online: 07 Jan 2021 *

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