This exchange visit is part of the Emergency Preparedness Integrated Courses (EPIC11) project that focuses on preparedness and response in EU and EEA countries. The EPIC11 project is the result of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) and DG SANTE’s call for tenders on “EU preparedness: analysis, planning, reporting and training programmes for health specialists”. The call builds on the need to implement the new EU Regulation on Serious Cross-Border Threats to Health (SCBTH). In particular, to reinforced prevention, preparedness and response planning with targeted training and knowledge exchange activities for healthcare and public health staff (Art. 11).
The aim of EPIC11 is to develop a contextualised and relevant training programme that responds to the needs of health specialists and addresses the current gaps in EU and EEA countries in relation to emergency preparedness planning. EPIC11 is implemented by a consortium made up of GFA consulting group GmbH (GFA), KIT Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), and Think Modular (TM).
The training programme will support EU and EEA countries to
- build knowledge & skills for more resilient emergency management;
- sharpen methods & tools for needs assessment; and to
- smoothen communication & coordination within and between countries.
The foundation of the training programme is an
- multi-hazard approach to health threats in a
- cross-sectoral and
- international setting,
- focussing on serious cross-border threats to health.
This training programme will be complementary to existing training programmes developed and managed by ECDC, WHO and others.