The document discusses strengthening health emergency preparedness and response capacities in Armenia. It notes that the European Region is vulnerable to various health threats like infectious diseases, natural disasters, and conflicts. Health emergencies can cost lives and economic losses. Armenia faces specific threats including earthquakes, chemical hazards, and food/waterborne diseases. The Joint External Evaluation of Armenia found strengths but also capacities needing strengthening, like surveillance systems and points of entry infrastructure. Strengthening capacities is important for protecting lives, meeting international obligations, and contributes to development goals. The opportunity exists for Armenia to adopt a national action plan and receive WHO support to build a long-term, sustainable strategy.

1. WHO Health Emergencies Programme
at country level
Investing for a safe and
healthy Armenia
Dr Egor Zaitsev
WHO Representative
WHO Country Office – Armenia

2. The European Region is vulnerable to
health threats
• Infectious diseases and measles epidemics
• Outbreaks of West Nile Virus (WNV) and
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)
• Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods,
forest fires, landslides)
• Man-made disasters (chemical or radiation
leaks)
• Armed conflicts and spill over from
neighbouring emergencies

3. Health emergencies affect
lives and livelihoods
In a typical year, Europe
suffers economic losses of €
10 billion* from disasters and
emergencies, and hundreds
of people die or become
severely ill
March 2018.
* Estimate quoted in EFDRR. High-Level Dialogue Communiqué from 2017. European Forum for Disaster Risk
Reduction, Istanbul, 26–28 March 2017.

4. 15 European
countries and
areas have
been
identified by
WHO for
priority action
1All references to Kosovo in this document should be understood to be in
the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)

5. Armenia is prone to specific health threats
• Earthquakes
• Chemical hazards
• Foodborne and
waterborne diarrhoeal
diseases
• Pandemic and seasonal
influenza
• Conflict
Armenia seismic hazard map
data.euro.who.int/e-atlas/europe

6. IHR core capacities: what and why?
Structures, skills and people needed for•
health system to prepare for, detect
and respond to health emergencies
Legal obligation under the• International
Health Regulations of 2005 (IHR)
Capacities all WHO Member States•
committed to build, maintain and
report on annually

7. All countries report on 13 capacities
1. Legislation and financing
2. IHR Coordination and National Focal Point (NFP) functions
3. Zoonotic events and the human–animal interface
4. Food safety
5. Laboratory
6. Surveillance
7. Human resources
8. National Health Emergency Framework
9. Health service provision
10. Risk communication
11. Points of entry
12. Chemical events
13. Radiation emergencies

8. Why must Armenia strengthen its
IHR core capacities?
1. Protect lives and livelihoods
2. Achieve best value-for-money
health investment
3. Show leadership & commitment
4. Observe legal obligations under IHR
treaty
5. Meet GPW13 goals, help achieve
UHC and other SDG goals

9. Health emergency capacity:
a “best buy” health investment
• Many emergencies are
preventable, or can be mitigated
• Well-prepared countries see
fewer deaths and less disruption
Analysis by WHO shows $ 1 spent on health
emergency capacity produces a return of $ 8.30*
*WHO. A Healthier Humanity: The WHO Investment Case for 2019–2023, pp. 24–28. Geneva: World Health
2018.

10. WHO’s “Triple Billion” is every country’s
2023 target*
• 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC
• 1 billion more people better protected
from health emergencies
• 1 billion more people enjoying better
health and well-being
*WHO General Programme of Work for 2019–2023 (GPW 13)

11. Protecting people from health
emergencies contributes to SDGs

12. All countries committed to the Action Plan
to Improve Public Health Preparedness and
Response in the WHO European Region
VISION
GOAL
A WHO European Region where the impact of
health emergencies is prevented or minimized
Strengthen and maintain adequate capacities in
the European Region to effectively prevent,
prepare for, detect and respond to public health
threats and to provide assistance to affected
countries, when necessary, through three strategic
pillars

13. Public health
needs to be
protected across
the whole health
emergency cycle

14. “Two sides of the same coin”
• Strengthening health emergency capacity strengthens health
system resilience and UHC
• Strengthening health systems strengthens capacity to
prepare and respond to emergencies

15. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
Armenia’s road to stronger health emergency capacities
@WHO/Jaqueline Christensen @WHO/Mihail Grigorev @WHO/Margarita Spasenovska @WHO/Jerome Flayosc

16. • 55% of reporting countries have preparedness
and response plans at all levels
• 73% of reporting countries have response
coordination and incident management at all
levels
• In 60% of reporting countries, all levels have
access to resources with which to mount a
response
• 50% of reporting countries have case
management services for all hazards at all
levels
©WHO
Progress towards protecting people in Europe

17. • Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of Armenia’s IHR core capacities
completed in 2016
• JEE found many strengths including in these areas:
– Political leadership, public health laws, preparedness planning, emergency
response system, EOC, staff “surge” capacity
• To follow-up on the JEE, the Ministry of Health (MoH) set up technical
working groups to develop the National Action Plan on Public Health
Emergency Preparedness
Armenia invested in IHR
monitoring and evaluation

18. How do Armenia’s capacities need to be
further strengthened?
Specific capacities identified
by JEE for strengthening
JEE’s cross-cutting recommendations on capacity
strengthening
One Health Develop /apply the One Health approach to interaction
between human health and veterinary sectors
Surveillance Apply real-time web-based reporting system for
surveillance data
Points of entry Strengthen public health and veterinary infrastructure
at designated points of entry
Human resources Train public health professionals and continue
professional development
Multisectoral coordination Improve multisectoral coordination and
communication across the whole-of-government

19. Armenia’s success stories
Substantial progress on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness•
Strengthened seasonal influenza and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI)–
surveillance systems
Updated National Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan will be finalized soon–
Since• 2016, Armenia has redoubled efforts to combat antimicrobial
resistance
The Ministry of Health organized a point prevalence survey on antibiotic•
resistant infections in health care facilities

20. Conclusion: the opportunity is there
• Crucial for Armenian government to adopt National Action Plan on Public
Health Emergency Preparedness
– Shows political commitment and leadership
– Basis for finding resources
• WHO and partners offer advice and technical support but domestic
resources are key
– Health emergency capacity is part of UHC: needs to be sustainable
• Long-term well-funded strategy on health emergency capacity
strengthening will save lives and protect Armenia’s economy

21. WHO Health Emergencies
Programme in the
European Region
http://www.euro.who.int/e
n/health-topics/health-
emergencies
WHO Country Office for
Armenia
http://www.euro.who.int/e
n/countries/Armenia
Thank you