Dakar – Fourteen countries from West Africa gathered in Dakar for a four-day regional simulation exercise (SIMEX) aimed at strengthening preparedness and response to filovirus outbreaks such as Ebola and Marburg.
Hosted by the Senegal Ministry of Health and Africa CDC, at the WHO Regional Emergency Hub in Dakar, the exercise brought together more than 40 participants, including experts in case management, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infection prevention and control (IPC), and logistics. All member states were represented by senior officials from their Ministries of Health, reflecting the strong regional commitment to improving health emergency preparedness.
Welcoming participants to the Hub, the Coordinator of the WHO Dakar Hub for West and Central Africa highlighted the importance of hosting the exercise in the region. “This simulation exercise is an important opportunity to strengthen the capacity of our member states to respond to high-risk outbreaks,” he said. “We are very pleased to host this event at the Dakar Hub, which was established precisely to support countries in preparedness, rapid response and operational readiness during health emergencies.”
The presence of the Western Regional Director of Africa CDC and the Director General of the Ministry of Health of Senegal further underscored the strategic importance of the exercise.
Participants conducted the simulation inside the Infectious Diseases Treatment Module (IDTM), an innovative and rapidly deployable medical facility developed through INITIATE² and designed to support the response to infectious disease outbreaks.
Throughout the exercise, teams practiced setting up the facility and managing complex medical scenarios that simulated the full patient journey, from community detection and admission to treatment and discharge.
The exercise is part of INITIATE², a five-year initiative launched in 2021 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
The initiative brings together more than 50 humanitarian actors, research institutions, and academic partners to develop innovative and standardized solutions to strengthen readiness and response to health emergencies.
The IDTM, developed in collaboration with major humanitarian partners and designed by the WHO-Techne members, is a reusable and modular treatment facility capable of delivering high-quality and humanised care within six hours of deployment. Its lightweight and mobile design allows medical teams to bring care closer to affected communities while promoting a more environmentally sustainable response.
The simulation was organised with the support of several partners, including Africa CDC, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and ALIMA, highlighting the importance of collaboration in strengthening regional preparedness.
“The success of this exercise shows what we can achieve when partners work together,” said Michel Yao, WHO Representative in Senegal. “Strong collaboration is essential to ensure that countries are ready to respond quickly and effectively to health emergencies.”
The Director of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dr Socé Fall, who supported the INITIATE² initiative from its early stages, also expressed appreciation for the results achieved through the project and the strong regional engagement demonstrated during the exercise.
Behind the scenes, the support of the WHO Dakar Hub team was critical to the success of the SIMEX. From providing a suitable site for the exercise to facilitating local procurement, logistics and services, including catering, translation, internet connectivity and transportation—the Hub played a key role in enabling the training to run smoothly.
Teams also worked rapidly to clear and prepare the IDTM so it could arrive and be installed in time for the simulation, while ensuring that all necessary medical devices and consumables were available to run realistic and high-quality medical scenarios.
Participants expressed strong interest in adopting this training model in their own countries. Following the success of the regional exercise, the INITIATE² team will work with member states to support national EMT training activities, ensuring that the knowledge and practices developed during the SIMEX can be replicated and adapted at national level.
The INITIATE² Dakar exercise marks an important step in strengthening regional preparedness and empowering national experts with the tools, skills, and innovations needed to respond effectively to future outbreaks.