The International Health Regulations (2005) dictate the need for states parties to establish capacity to respond promptly and effectively to public health risks. Public health rapid response teams (RRTs) can fulfill this need as a component of a larger public health emergency response infrastructure. However, lack of a standardized approach to establishing and managing RRTs can lead to substantial delays in effective response measures. As part of the Global Health Security Agenda, national governments have sought to develop and more formally institute their RRTs. RRT challenges were identified from 21 countries spanning 4 continents from 2016 to 2018 through direct observation of RRTs deployed during public health emergencies, discussions with RRT managers involved in outbreak response, and during formal RRT management training workshops. One major challenge identified is the development and maintenance of an RRT roster to ensure deployable surge staff identification, selection, and availability. Another challenge is ensuring that RRT members are trained and have the relevant competencies to be effective in the field. Finally, the lack of defined RRT standard operating procedures covering both nonemergency maintenance measures and the multistage emergency response processes required for RRT function can delay the RRT's response time and effectiveness. These findings highlight the importance of planning to preemptively address these challenges to ensure rapid and effective response measures, ultimately strengthening global health security.
The 2014–2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa highlighted challenges faced by the global response to a large public health emergency. Consequently, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Global Rapid Response Team (GRRT) to strengthen emergency response capacity to global health threats, thereby ensuring global health security. Dedicated GRRT staff can be rapidly mobilized for extended missions, improving partner coordination and the continuity of response operations. A large, agencywide roster of surge staff enables rapid mobilization of qualified responders with wide-ranging experience and expertise. Team members are offered emergency response training, technical training, foreign language training, and responder readiness support. Recent response missions illustrate the breadth of support the team provides. GRRT serves as a model for other countries and is committed to strengthening emergency response capacity to respond to outbreaks and emergencies worldwide, thereby enhancing global health security.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global response underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach that integrates and coordinates various public health systems—surveillance, laboratory, and health care systems/networks, among others—as part of a larger emergency response system. Multidisciplinary public health rapid response teams (RRTs) are one mechanism utilized within a larger COVID-19 outbreak response strategy. As COVID-19 RRTs are deployed, countries are facing operational challenges in optimizing their RRT’s impact, while ensuring the safety of their RRT responders. From March to May 2020, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received requests from 12 countries for technical assistance related to COVID-19 RRTs and emergency operations support. Challenges included: (1) an insufficient number of RRT responders available for COVID-19 deployments; (2) limited capacity to monitor RRT responders’ health, safety, and resiliency; (3) difficulty converting critical in-person RRT operational processes to remote information technology platforms; and (4) stigmatization of RRT responders hindering COVID-19 interventions. Although geographically and socioeconomically diverse, these 12 countries experienced similar RRT operational challenges, indicating potential applicability to other countries. As the response has highlighted the critical need for immediate and effective implementation measures, addressing these challenges is essential to ensuring an impactful and sustainable COVID-19 response strategy globally.
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