Testing Capacity for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control - Community Approaches to Simulation Exercises

Vietnam is considered a high-burden country for Avian Influenza (AI). Early detection is an essential first defense against AI H5N1 and other EIDs. At present, there remains a critical gap between the established national surveillance system and community-level efforts. The USAID-funded project established community-based surveillance (CBS) model in target provinces to fill this gap and then conducted Simulation Exercises to test the model for early detection and response and to assess the model's readiness to outbreaks. The exercise scenarios included both real and false cases. Participants demonstrated knowledge and skills in case detection and report, safe transfer to healthcare settings, infection control measures, and activating community human and animal health sector responses. The exercises were the first of their kind in Vietnam. Following established procedures, Animal Health Workers reported suspected cases to the commune, triggering verification visits by Commune Animal Health Workers, emergency meetings of Commune AI Committees, and increased surveillance by local Health Workers to detect possible human cases -- a strategy designed to assess and strengthen local capacity and provide a hands-on learning opportunity. The exercises also included household visits to rumored human cases, reported suspect cases, transferred patients to commune health stations, and applied basic infection control measures, successfully demonstrating internalization of the protocols. The simulation exercises provided a unique opportunity to assess the effectiveness of CBS interventions and identify areas for increased attention, helped increase local ownership, strengthened the relationship between administrative levels, and enhanced disease awareness and surveillance at all levels.