Mauritius Conducts National Public Health Risk Profiling Exercise to Prepare for Future Emergencies

Strategic Insights -

Mauritius recently conducted a comprehensive national public health risk profiling exercise to better understand and prepare for future emergencies and disasters. The exercise, supported by The World Health Organization (WHO), brought together key stakeholders from various ministries and sectors to assess public health risks and develop strategies for preparedness and response. The Ministry of Health and Wellness, National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Command, and other organizations collaborated to identify and prioritize the country's public health risks. The exercise utilized the WHO's Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risk (STAR) to analyze health emergency risks for all hazards, aligning with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction commitments.

Key Takeaways:

  • The exercise involved 40 multisectoral experts who used the WHO's Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risk (STAR) to identify and prioritize public health risks.
  • The STAR toolkit assesses health emergency risks for all hazards and is aligned with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction commitments.
  • The exercise facilitated the development of robust policies, strategies, and plans to address vulnerabilities related to priority health emergencies and disasters.
  • Mauritius has consolidated the risk information and prioritization from STAR to inform the finalization of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).
  • The Ministry of Health and Wellness and multisectoral partners agreed to update and test contingency plans for priority risks, link the results to health system capacity development, and reinforce all-hazards coordination mechanisms.
  • The exercise aimed to provide an evidence base for the National Action Plan for Health Security and enable adequate preparedness and resource allocation.

Statistics:

  • 40 multisectoral experts participated in the exercise.
  • The exercise was conducted from 22-25 February.

Sources:

  • Letter from the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal.
  • World Health Organization (WHO) - Mauritius.