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Exercise Crystal: simulations that drive National IHR Focal Point capacity-strengthening
Laura Goddard1, Qiu Yi Khut1, Gina Samaan1
1WHO Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines.
Summary
National IHR Focal Points (NFPs) show improved communication and participation in WHO simulation exercises. However, telephone accessibility and multisectoral coordination require further strengthening for effective global health security.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- International Health Law
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The International Health Regulations (2005) mandate States Parties to establish National IHR Focal Points (NFPs) for timely communication of public health emergencies to the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Recent amendments to the IHR (2005) necessitate the designation of a National IHR Authority to coordinate implementation efforts.
- The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has conducted the annual IHR Exercise Crystal since 2008 to assess and enhance NFP functionality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the performance of National IHR Focal Points (NFPs) over a 16-year period (2008-2024, excluding 2009) using data from the IHR Exercise Crystal.
- To inform Member States' strategies for NFP capacity-strengthening in light of the updated IHR (2005) requirements.
- To identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in NFP performance.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of performance data collected during the annual IHR Exercise Crystal simulation exercises.
- Descriptive statistical analysis of six key National IHR Focal Point (NFP) performance indicators.
- Longitudinal assessment of NFP functionality across a 16-year period.
Main Results:
- High NFP accessibility via email (mean: 99%) was consistently observed.
- Suboptimal telephone accessibility (mean: 64%) and variable multisectoral communication (mean: 73%) were noted.
- Significant improvements were observed in NFP participation in tele/videoconferencing (mean: 73%), notification of simulated events (mean: 80%), and information contribution to the Event Information Site (mean: 77%).
Conclusions:
- Substantial progress has been made in strengthening National IHR Focal Point (NFP) functionality, evidenced by improved communication and participation metrics.
- Key areas for continued capacity-building include enhancing telephone accessibility and fostering robust multisectoral coordination.
- Ongoing simulation exercises and development of clear standard operating procedures are critical for effective International Health Regulations (IHR) implementation and coordination between NFPs and National IHR Authorities.
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