Photo caption: Brig. Gen. Tahir Oshe Umar, Nigeria Defense Headquarters, arrives for the opening of the Tanzanian National Government Pandemic Disaster Response Exercise March 7, 2011, in Arusha, Tanzania. Photo by Khalfan Said, U.S. Embassy, Tanzania. The exercise was hosted by the government of Tanzania, organized by the U.S. Africa Command, supported by the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM), and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition to representatives from all levels of the Tanzanian government, the five-day event brought together more than 100 professionals from many diverse organizations such as the World Food Programme, the National Disaster Operations Center in Kenya, the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria, the World Health Organization, the Ghana Ministry of Defense, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, and UNICEF.
Overview of the Pandemic Response Program (PRP)
U.S. Africa Command PRP in partnership with The Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) promotes stability and security and enhances African Partner Nations’ Military (PN) capacity to plan for and respond to a pandemic disaster. CDHAM, a part of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), assists in the development of comprehensive educational programs in Disaster Management and Pandemic Crisis Response for both Civil Authorities and Military.
Implementation of PRP
The PRP is executed via a strategic whole-of-government approach and fosters synchronization of national and regional level preparedness and response plans. The PRP is conducted in collaboration with other inter-agency and international partners who share the same end states, to strengthen Partner Nations capacity to respond to a pandemic disaster and have mitigated threats to stability and security.
PRP Concept of Operations
- Senior and mid-level military leaders train/coordinate with civil authorities.
- Assist Partner Nations in assessing their pandemic influenza preparedness and response baselines.
- Assist Partner Nations in understanding the roles of the international community (i.e. IOs, NGOs, Regional Bodies, DoD/DoS).
- Assist Partner Nations in identifying National and Regional opportunities for improvement that will assist in the development of a multi-country response to a pandemic.
- Assist National level authorities and military in identifying and validating their roles and responsibilities within the National Pandemic Response Plan.
Read more about Sustained Engagement through Education and Training
U.S. Africa Command Presents THE PROMISE OF AFRICOM 2
U.S. Africa Command Presents THE PROMISE OF AFRICOM 1 by US Army Africa
