Training workshop: How to conduct a simulation exercise

Emergency Management and Disaster Response Training Programme: How to conduct a simulation exercise

Background

Preparedness is key to protecting health and the environment. Recent emergencies have shown that early detection and prevention—through surveillance, biosecurity, and vaccination—are critical. Southeast Asia has faced serious challenges from transboundary animal diseases like African Swine Fever (ASF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and rabies, making strong regional cooperation essential.

WOAH is helping Members get ready for future crises. Through workshops and projects like the Disease Prevention and Control, South-East Asia (DPC-SEA), we are strengthening emergency management skills, from contingency planning and border security to risk communication and simulation exercises. A new training program will roll out in two phases: first, teaching Members how to design and run simulation exercises (2025), then conducting cross-border drills to boost coordination and information sharing (2026).

Objectives

We organised a workshop from 10 to 12 December to develop Members’ capacity to design and conduct simulation exercises to test and strengthen national and regional contingency plans, as well as the overall readiness of Veterinary Agencies (VAs). This was achieved by:

Raising awareness of the benefits of conducting simulation exercises to enhance systems for prevention and emergency preparedness
Providing an understanding of the range and format of simulation exercises available, with their advantages and limitations
Developing participants’ ability to identify their priorities for simulation exercises and how to design and conduct a simulation exercise
Ensuring that lessons learnt are documented and actioned from completed simulation exercises
Strengthening cross-border collaboration and cooperation between VAs and border control agencies of neighbouring countries