Over the past ten years, Mongolia has made strides in strengthening its pandemic preparedness systems and plans. After the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mongolia identified further areas for improvement. In April 2023, with support from the , Mongolia conducted a three-day multi-sectoral workshop and simulation exercise.
The implementation of the (APSED III) culminated in the revision of their pandemic influenza preparedness plan and the conduct of a simulation exercise () in 2018. The exercise was to test and validate, in particular, its coordination structures and the procedures for a rapid containment operation.
Four years later, to learn from their COVID-19 experience and the rapidly changing global landscape for pandemic preparedness and response, Mongolia conducted a review and ran another table-top simulation exercise. Representatives from health, emergency management, education, risk communications and customs were brought together for the exercise.
Review, plans and a simulation exercise
Post-COVID-19 lessons learned was a key theme of the initial meeting, in particular, how to improve a future response, and what the country’s ‘pandemic preparedness wish-list’ was for priority areas and functions needing to be strengthened. This was followed by a table-top simulation exercise to test the country’s multi-sectoral coordination, risk communications and community engagement, and the triggers for operational decision making.
The exercise simulated an avian influenza outbreak. It highlighted the need to take a mode-of-transmission approach to pandemic planning to be efficient and leverage existing capacities across health and other sector programmes. This is in line with the . The exercise reinforced the need for clear roles and responsibilities across different stages of a pandemic, and familiarity with the pandemic plan was critical for an effective response. Furthermore, training on health journalism was identified as an essential step in order to strengthen management of mis- and disinformation.
Multiple debriefing sessions were held including a ‘hotwash’ to identify immediate recommendations from the exercise, a more comprehensive debrief highlighting next steps, responsible agencies and risks to implementation, and a strategic debrief with the Ministry of Health to ensure continued advocacy and support for pandemic preparedness.
Continued commitment
This workshop and exercise provided participants with a unique opportunity to look back at pandemic influenza preparedness efforts prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the national response to the pandemic in order to further strengthen preparedness. It demonstrates Mongolia’s continued commitment to being better prepared for the next pandemic.
