Pandemic Disaster Response Exercise, Lagos, Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria, Oct 25, 2011 — More than 70 civilian and military representatives from 22 agencies came together in Lagos, October 24, 2011, for a weeklong exercise to prepare for a potential pandemic.

The Pandemic Disaster Response Tabletop Exercise was hosted by the Nigerian government and organized by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) with the support of the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) and funding through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The tabletop exercise was designed to assist participants in identifying shortfalls and gaps within existing pandemic disaster plans and to provide recommendations for building national and regional capacity.

In his opening remarks, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, Nigerian chief of the Defense Staff, said, "The whole idea of this conference is to avert socio-economic, cultural and political disruptions associated with a pandemic crisis."

U.S. Africa Command's senior representative at the opening ceremony was Brigadier General Stayce Harris, mobilization assistant to the commander. "Dealing with a pandemic, from planning to post operation phases, is a high priority for the United States Government," said Harris.

"We must keep in mind that health and security issues are closely linked. Consequently one of U.S. Africa Command's strategic objectives is assisting partner nations with protecting populations from deadly contagions. As a result, the U.S. Government has committed specific resources to helping our partner militaries in Africa and Asia in this mission," Harris continued.

Nigeria is currently in the third phase of a five-phase approach within U.S. AFRICOM's Pandemic Response Program (PRP), which ensures the Nigerian Defense Force has a contingency plan to support civil authorities in responding to a pandemic or disaster.

The current phase focuses on Nigeria's national issues with a particular emphasis on the areas of operations, communication, health, security, and logistics. Coordination between each of these focus groups was facilitated by assigned liaison officers, who facilitated dialogue and ensured a unified response throughout the exercise.
The exercise began with academic sessions presented by subject matter experts, some from Nigeria and others from East Africa.

More at http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7354&

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