Over 35 experts discussed key components in developing national hospital response planning at a workshop held 6–8 November and organized and funded by WHO/Europe and the German Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). The workshop focused on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents, taking into account lessons identified from previous events. Participants came from Albania, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine and included senior-level staff from hospitals, ministries of health or other national institutions who are currently involved in national level strategic development of hospital emergency or CBRN response planning.
“I would like to thank all those who participated in the workshop for all their fantastic input and their desire to share their country experiences with colleagues. Exchanging real-life challenges, making honest appraisals of readiness, and identifying emerging best practices from European settings is crucial for these types of events,” said Barbara Kowalzik, Head of Division, Public Health Protection, BBK.
“We wanted to provide input to national, regional, and global technical guidance for toolkit development and hospital response planning for such incidents,” she added. “We also hoped to generate opportunities to collaborate across countries, learning from direct experience from recent events.”
CBRN incidents
Catherine Smallwood, WHO/Europe Programme Manager for Emergency Operations, highlighted that the workshop came at a timely moment “as European countries perceive a higher level of risk associated with CBRN hazards and are taking steps to increase their readiness to respond,” she said.
Ihor Perehinets, WHO/Europe Programme Area Manager for Country Health Emergency Preparedness and International Health Regulations, added that this event marked a significant step towards expanding WHO/Europe’s work to generate and share knowledge in this field across the entire WHO European Region, including more detailed work on CBRN in hospital settings, planned for 2024.
Several events over the last two decades have highlighted the importance of hospital emergency response planning for CBRN incidents. The use of deliberate poisoning agents or conflict-related, direct deaths from chemical weapons are all examples. The ongoing war in Ukraine has also increased the perceived risk of CBRN threats in the Region, particularly in the context of the involvement of industrial and nuclear sites being affected. In addition, the perceived risk of deliberate attacks using CBRN weapons and/or deliberate release of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) has increased.