Praia, Cabo Verde – A regional training of trainers opened today to strengthen public health emergency management and humanitarian health coordination in Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe. The training brings together 34 participants from the five countries.
The course is part of AVoHC-SURGE, a joint initiative by WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to help countries develop emergency response teams. The initiative aims to build a roster of more than 50 government-nominated AVoHC-SURGE responders in each country, bringing together specialists from different sectors and disciplines who can deploy rapidly.
With funding support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO is organizing the training from 9 to 20 November 2026.
ProEpi, a partner in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, is delivering the course in Portuguese. Limited access to specialized training in Portuguese has made it harder for the five countries to train more responders and for their personnel to take part in regional deployments.
During major emergencies, a limited pool of Portuguese-speaking responders can increase reliance on international support. The regional training gives teams an opportunity to exchange lessons on responding to different threats, including infectious disease outbreaks and climate-related disasters.
The course brings together health ministry representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Agriculture and Environment, Internal Affairs including the National Public Health Institute and Hospitals and RED Cross to develop the skills they need to train national emergency responders in their countries. Participants will learn how to lead emergency response, coordinate with humanitarian partners and manage Public Health Emergencies Operations Centre (PHEOCs).
The PHEOCs are hubs that enable health authorities to bring together information and coordinate the people and repractise assigning responsibilities, making decisions and mobilizing personnel and ree feedback
In Cabo Verde, coordinating emergency operations across islands requires particular attention. “Our geographical characteristics reinforce the need for strong national coordination, trained personnel and the ability to mobilize response capacities rapidly across different islands,” said Flarand, WHO Representative in Cabo Verde, in her opening remarks
In August 2022, at the 72nd WHO Regional Committee for Africa, Member States endorsed strengthening national emergency workforces through SURGE. Since then, 33 countries in the WHO African Region have trained over 3000 responders, and 29 countries have already deployed them as first line of responders.
In her opening remarks, Dr Ishata Conteh, Unit Lead, Emergency Management Support, called on governments to nominate responders from different sectors and make arrangements to deploy them rapidly. “Responders must be integrated into national emergency coordination mechanisms, with clear activation procedures, updated rosters and regular exercises.”
Country teams will present outlines detailing responsibilities, timelines and budgets. Following the course, Ministry of Health in collaboration with other relevant sectors, will identify potential national responders for formal government nomination.
The trained participants will then cascade the training in their respective countries, building a multidisciplinary pool of national responders who are prepared and ready for rapid deployment when emergencies occur.
The course will also strengthen collaboration among Portuguese-speaking African countries, helping them share technical expertise and provide operational support across borders during health emergencies
