Preparing Communities for Future Outbreaks: WHO, USAID support Metro Manila City in using the WHO Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risks (STAR)

In early 2024, the Philippines reported a measles outbreak in the Bangsamoro region and pertussis outbreaks in parts of Luzon and Visayas. Dr Daisy Tagarda from the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) noted how the outbreaks stemmed from "a shortfall of certain vaccines and a decrease in vaccine compliance."

Dr Tagarda participated in a three-day Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risks (STAR) workshop in the Philippines, facilitated by WHO, to examine risk factors associated with infectious diseases, including pertussis and measles, and better prepare for future outbreaks.

Through the STAR toolkit, countries bring together stakeholders from different sectors to identify populations who are most at risk and estimate the potential impact on communities. Stakeholders then use this information to implement regional and local priority health security actions. STAR enables emergency stakeholders to ensure health systems are ready to manage possible emergencies.

_{Various stakeholders from all around Metro Manila attended and participated in the STAR workshop. The activity aimed to provide critical information in developing an outbreak preparedness plan for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.}

STAR ensures participation from various sectors in assessing and mitigating health emergency risks. Representatives from various agencies in Metro Manila-including Department of Education, Metro Manila Development Authority, International Development Partners, Bureau of Fire Protection, medical societies, referral hospitals and laboratories, and management offices of the 17 local governments of Metro Manila -assessed the likelihood and severity of potential disease outbreaks. Reiterating the value of this approach, Dr Tagarda said, "Root causes of disease outbreaks emerge from communities and so the health sector cannot work in isolation to prepare for potential outbreaks. Collaborating across sectors and across levels of governance is a more sustainable and effective approach."

Echoing Dr Tagarda, Dr Jesse Bermejo from the Metro Manila Center of Health Development shared the value of working across sectors: "When we respond to incidents of food contamination, we have to examine the entire food chain - from source to market - and this involves working with counterparts across other departments to ensure compliance and to leverage their experience."

Ground-up risk assessments enhance preparedness

The Philippines will integrate recommendations from STAR into national and sub-national health security action plans. By involving stakeholders from local, subnational and national levels, STAR enables a ground-up approach to strengthening emergency preparedness.

STAR thus taps the power of localization by putting easy-to-use tools within reach of community health security representatives. Reinforcing the value of the toolkit's simplicity, Marko Pielago, Municipality of Pateros, DRRM Health Manager noted how his team was able to "easily map the likelihood and severity of disease outbreaks and at a glance see potential vulnerabilities."

_{The three-day workshop supports multisectoral, collaborative risk profiling to inform health system preparedness, response planning, and scaling up readiness systems}

The Philippines will use results from the STAR in developing an outbreak preparedness plan for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in Metro Manila Center for Health Development related national and local health security plans such as the Comprehensive Development Plan for various municipalities across the country.

Mikhail Llorca, a nurse in Pasay city who participated in STAR, noted how the toolkit can help his team better plan for such health incidents in the future: "STAR is a game changer at the local level because it is easy to use, comprehensive and practical. Even beginners in the field can use the toolkit effectively."

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