XVII.2.5.1 Alert and Response Coordination (ARC)

 

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Context

10.       The Department of Alert and Response Coordination (ARC) of WHO's Emergency Response (WRE) is the central fulcrum for the management of all acute public health events across the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) and WHO and with GOARN partners for seamless operations.

Overall mission

20.       The objective of ARC is to provide end-to-end capacity for the early detection and risk assessment, surveillance and analysis, operational management and coordination of acute public health emergencies (or 'acute events') and for generating and disseminating public health information around such events.

Specific objectives

30.       ARC has two specific objectives:

1. deliver a range of key response functions (through its four interlinked units and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN); and
2. strengthen capacity for better responses, including improving response tools and methods.

40.       The key response functions include but are not limited to the following:

1. an early warning function for public health events and potential acute emergencies;
2. epidemiological and analytical support to generate meaningful, timely and ongoing public health information for acute events;
3. management and coordination of acute events; and
4. coordination and engagement with technical and operational partners through GOARN.

50.       ARC will strengthen response capacity at HQ and in the field, in liaison with regional offices, through the following:

1. strengthening and developing response tools;
2. capacity building activities, such as training, mentoring and field support, including agile response tools (software, methods, data collection tools, epidemiological tools, etc.);
3. strengthening and harmonizing response coordination across the Organization by building global, distributed coordination teams; and
4. continuously reviewing and periodically updating the Emergency Response Framework (ERF), which underpins WHO's emergency response.
   

Structure

60.       The structure of ARC, with its four units of Acute Events Management (AEM), Public Health Intelligence (PHI), Acute Events Epidemiology (AEE) and Acute Events Analytics (ANA) and teams, is shown below.

Activities

70.       A more detailed overview of the planned activities in the table below can be found with the unit-specific plans.

Table: Outline of the key activities for the Department of Alert and Response Coordination