APEC Self-Funded Project Proposal

APEC Self-Funded Project Proposal

Project Title: / Facilitating Regional Advancement of the Global Health Security Agenda
Project Number
(Assigned by Secretariat): / HWG 03 2015S
Committee /
WG / Sub-fora / Task-force: / Health Working Group
Proposing APEC economy: / Australia
Co-sponsoring economies: / USA; Viet Nam
Date approved by fora: / 29 August 2015
Expected start date: / October 2016
Expected completion date: / June 2016
Project summary:
Briefly describe the project.
Your summary should include the project topic, planned activities,
timing and location: / Australia will convene a workshop to bring together relevant stakeholders from APEC-member economies to discuss opportunities for collaboration to advance the objectives of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to accelerate compliance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHRs).
The Workshop will be informed by the outcomes of peer reviews that will be conducted by Australia and another APEC economy on their respective experiences in implementing the IHRs. The peer reviews will be conducted towards the end of 2015.
The workshop will also build on recent international forums aimed at generating momentum for the implementation of the GHSA, including the May 2015 World Health Assembly side event on GHSA – from the Ebola epidemic to measurable IHR implementation (Geneva); and in the Asia-Pacific, the August 2014 Global Meeting on Infectious Diseases Building global commitment to manage emerging zoonotic diseases in support of the GHSA (Indonesia); and the May 2015 GHSA Meeting Step towards regional strategic collaboration in Asia-Pacific on workforce development, laboratory system strengthening and antimicrobial resistance prevention (Thailand).
Workshop discussions will aim to identify gaps and risks related to health security in the region and consider specific, coordinated actions in support of GHSA Action Packages. The outputs of these discussions will provide impetus for APEC economies to establish a baseline of health security prevention and response capacity and identify areas in which economies may be able to establish mutually beneficial partnerships or collaborative arrangements to further implementation.
A skilled facilitator will conduct the workshop and prepare a report of the outcomes. The workshop will be held in one of the participating economies in early 2016.
The Australian APEC Economic Diplomacy Fund will cover the cost of the workshop, including supporting the attendance of participants from eligible economies, the facilitator’s costs, including facilitating the workshop and the workshop report, and the attendance of an Australian delegation and any key experts required.
Total cost of project (USD): / Approx. 160,000

Project Overseer Information and Declaration:

Name: Mr. Chris Bedford

Title: A/g Assistant Secretary, International Strategies Branch

Organization: Australian Government Department of Health

Postal address: GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT Australia 2601

Tel +61-2-6289 8019

E-mail:

As Project Overseer and on behalf of the above said Organization, I will ensure that all Project outputs (Project reports, proceedings, slides, presentations, CDs, etc.), will comply with the APEC Publications, APEC Logo and Copyrights Guidelines before being published. The guidelines are at:

http://www.apec.org/About-Us/About-APEC/Policies-and-Procedures.aspx

Chris Bedford

Name of Project Overseer

Name of Fora Chair/Lead Shepherd

Date:

Project Synopsis

1.  Relevance: Why should APEC undertake this project? What problem or opportunity will the project address and why is it important?

The project supports the APEC Health Working Group’s Strategic Plan 2013-2015, including its Vision, Mission statement and Objectives, in particular, “building health system resilience and supporting healthy populations by enhancing preparedness for effective, equitable and efficient management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential”.

The GHSA is a multilateral initiative, launched in February 2014, as an effort by nations, international organisations and civil society to work toward a world safe from infectious disease threats; to promote global health security as an international priority; and to progress toward full implementation of the IHRs, the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) pathway, and other relevant global health security frameworks. The GHSA is aimed at accelerating the implementation of core capacities specified in the IHR in order to provide local, regional and global capacity to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to infectious disease threats, whether naturally occurring, deliberate or accidental. The WHO estimates that approximately 70 percent of economies are currently unable to achieve these capacities. The devastating Ebola epidemic in parts of West Africa, and the associated social and economic impacts, is held up as an example of the need for economies to strengthen their preparedness for global health security risks.

Regional and global collaboration toward specific GHSA objectives and targets is facilitated through Action Packages. Economies that support the GHSA can participate in one or more Action Packages and, in so doing, are asked to consider specific commitments across these areas on a local , regional or global basis. Developed economies are asked to commit to assisting developing economies implement the Action Packages, including through the adoption of a leadership role in their region and the sharing of experience, expertise and relevant program resources.

This project will help APEC economies implement the GHSA and IHRs by providing a forum through which participants can identify areas of collaboration and partnership that will assist in the implementation of the specific GHSA Action Packages to which they have committed. The Peer Reviews conducted by Australia and another APEC economy will provide a basis for the workshop which will benefit all APEC economies; developing economies through the sharing of experience and expertise, program resources and tools that support the implementation of relevant policies and guidelines that give effect to Action Package objectives; and developed APEC economies with expertise in the different GHSA Action Packages will benefit from increased health security in their region, in addition to fulfilling an obligation to assist developing economies implement the GHSA.

2.  Objectives: Describe the 2-3 key objectives of the project.

The peer reviews will aim to provide a critical assessment of the implementation of the IHRs in the peer review economies in order to provide a basis for regional discussion on IHR compliance.

The workshop will be targeted at senior government health officials and policy makers. The objectives are to:

·  Explore the findings of the IHR peer reviews

·  Explore and promote opportunities for collaboration on key actions to increase preparedness and capacity to respond to local , regional and global health security threats;

·  Share individual economy’s experiences and expertise in the implementation of the IHRs and GHSA Action Packages;

·  Provide a forum in which developed and developing economies are able to identify opportunities to partner in the advancement of one or more of the GHSA Action Packages.

The workshop will provide a forum for the broad exchange of ideas on the best ways to implement the GHSA in APEC economies, as well as provide the opportunity for the establishment of partnerships that can take forward specific actions. It will advance regional and global health security through the sharing of experience and expertise in particular areas, getting economies working together to close gaps, and by working towards the achievement of priority outcomes.

3.  Alignment: Describe how the project will help achieve APEC’s key priorities and meet your forum’s work-plan or medium-term plan.

This proposal aligns with the APEC HWG’s Strategic Plan 2013-2015. It supports the HWG Vision of an APEC region with health systems equipped to protect against and effectively respond to health-related threats to trade, investment and economic growth; and healthy populations; and the HWG Mission statement by providing a forum for information sharing and technical cooperation. It supports the HWG objective of building health system resilience by enhancing preparedness for effective, equitable and efficient management of infectious diseases with pandemic potential. It will help participating economies by identifying the key steps necessary to implement actions that contribute to compliance with IHRs and GHSA Action Package objectives and increase their preparedness to deal with local, regional and global health security threats.

4.  Methodology: How do you plan to implement the project? In this section, address:

Timeline: Project timelines and dates for key activities and deliverables

·  Engage with HWG out-of-session to seek support for the project – July 2015

·  Engage with/identify potential co-sponsors of the workshop – July/August 2015

·  Engage a member economy to partner with on the peer reviews – August 2015

·  Identify and engage a skilled facilitator who can conduct the workshop and assist with the development of the peer review methodology and the workshop agenda – August 2015

·  Undertake peer review and develop report – October-November 2015

·  Develop the workshop agenda in consultation with relevant stakeholders and interested parties. Finalise invitee list and map workshop logistics – November 2015 - January 2016

·  Conduct workshop – February/March 2016

·  Prepare report for the HWG. Report will include results of scoping study, workshop outcomes and next steps to ensure workshop outcomes are not lost – March/April 2016

·  Provide report for discussion at the second HWG meeting in 2016.

Stakeholders: Beneficiaries and stakeholders (APEC & non-APEC) and how they will be engaged.

Guided by the outcomes of the peer reviews, the workshop will target health system capacity building in APEC developing economies consistent with the achievement of GHSA objectives. The workshop will be structured in a way that helps developing APEC economies identify the critical gaps in their health systems, including through an assessment of their current capacity to implement the GHSA Action Packages. Developing economies will then be equipped to decide where to most effectively direct available resources; and what steps to take to most efficiently increase their health system capacity. Through this process, developed economies will have visibility of the areas of greatest need for international support in order to maximise improvements in regional and global health security. The workshop will provide an opportunity for developing and developed APEC economies to collaborate on initiatives that can lead to an improvement in the capacity of the developing economy’s health system.

All members of the APEC region will benefit from capacity building in global health security preparedness and response. Direct beneficiaries will be health policy makers in developing economies and developed economies.

Previous projects/activities: If and how this proposal builds on the findings or lessons learned from previous projects/activities, while avoiding duplication

The workshop will build on recent international forums aimed at generating momentum for the implementation of the GHSA, including the May 2015 World Health Assembly side event on GHSA – from the Ebola epidemic to measurable IHR implementation (Geneva); and in the Asia-Pacific, the August 2014 Global Meeting on Infectious Diseases Building global commitment to manage emerging zoonotic diseases in support of the GHSA (Indonesia); and the May 2015 GHSA Meeting Step towards regional strategic collaboration in Asia-Pacific on workforce development, individual economy’s laboratory system strengthening and antimicrobial resistance prevention (Thailand).

Communication: How you plan to communicate the results or benefits of this project to others

The peer review methodology, peer review reports and the workshop report will be made widely available to APEC economies, countries in the broader Asia-Pacific region and to international development partners as a source of information on GHSA country-specific developments. The reports would be expected to identify areas and opportunities for economies that did not attend the workshop to join regional and global collaborations according to their own needs and requirements and capacity to participate. They will provide a resource for developed economies looking to identify areas where they are able to provide support to developing economies in complying with the IHRs and implementing the GHSA Action Packages.

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