Analysis of Joint External Evaluations in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region

Abstract

a standardized score-based indicator data collection instrument (JEE Tool) (15-17). As of July 2018, 78 countries, including 14 countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), had carried out JEEs (18). The experience of in-country focal points during JEEs in these countries has been described (19). However, this paper provides a detailed descriptive

The Joint External Evaluation process in Cameroon: Assessing the country’s capacity for health security

“…This situation is similar to that of the majority of the African countries where critical gaps were also identified [21]. But in the EMRO Region and globally, the two weakest technical areas were antimicrobial resistance and biosecurity/biosafety [22,23].…”

“…Cameroon's performance on syndromic surveillance system is similar to the global situation where this indicator has the highest median score [21]. While countries of the EMRO Region have developed their capacities related to Medical countermeasures and personnel deployment and demonstrated those concerning the linkage of public health with security authorities [22], most countries in the AFRO Region had no capacity for these technical areas [21].…”

“…The majority of those low-performing countries were found in the WHO AFRO Region [20]. Countries' JEE scores for prevent, detect and respond categories were statistically significant in these countries [22].…”

Effective health information systems for delivering the Sustainable Development Goals and the universal health coverage agenda

“…A few countries of the Region are experiencing emergencies that negatively affect their national systems for health data, while massively increasing the need for data generation. While data systems for emergency settings are beyond the scope of this short article, they are an important part of WHO's work in this area (14). In the end, these initiatives are as successful as the commitment given to them on the ground.…”

Coronavirus Disease 2019 outbreak: preparedness and readiness of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

“…Countries in the Region have been working on developing and enhancing their preparedness and response capacities as required under IHR (2005) since they came into force in 2007 (8). The implementation of national action plans for health security, which were developed following the conduct of joint external evaluation in 18 countries between 2016 and 2019, is ongoing but with varied rates of progress among countries (9,10). WHO is actively offering support to accelerate operational readiness for COVID-19 in countries.…”