Fatshimetrie, July 4, 2024 – The capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo recently hosted a major meeting focused on popularizing key concepts of public health emergency operations. Chaired by the Minister of Health, this event highlighted the critical importance of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COUSP) within the National Institute of Public Health (INSP).
Dr. Samuel Roger Kamba, Minister of Health, highlighted the objective of this meeting, which was to make the normative documents of the COUSP accessible to all. The dissemination of these documents aims to ensure the proper functioning of the center in the event of epidemics, emergencies or disasters, by allowing everyone to know the steps to follow, the means available, as well as the structures in place for a rapid and effective response.
The five normative documents discussed include the multi-risk plan, the COUSP strategy, the procedures manual, the concepts of public health emergency operations and the COUSP action plan. Dr. Kamba stressed that the COUSP was created to respond to different threats to public health without creating new structures for each new crisis.
The President of the Republic clearly expressed his desire to provide the DRC with a structure like the INSP, present in other African countries and around the world. In the event of a natural disaster, epidemic or climate crisis, the COUSP and the INSP will constitute the only response mechanisms, in line with President Tshisekedi’s vision for universal health coverage.
The Minister also stressed the importance of aligning the different structures involved behind the coordination of the COUSP for more effective and equitable management of public health emergencies. The involvement of technical and financial partners such as JHPIEGO, Path, CDC, WHO and the World Bank was commended for its support to the process.
The meeting was an opportunity for Dr. Christian Ngandu, National Coordinator of COUSP, to present the five documents ready for popularization. He stressed the importance of upcoming simulation exercises to identify potential gaps and continuously improve these documents.
Dr. Dieudonné Mwamba, Director General of INSP, expressed his gratitude to partners, including the international NGO JHPIEGO, for their support in setting up COUSP. The session to popularize the normative documents of COUSP was organized by JHPIEGO and WHO, marking a major step forward in the DRC’s preparedness for public health emergencies.
This meeting demonstrates the commitment of the Congolese government to public health and emergency preparedness, relying on solid structures and strategic partnerships to ensure the health security of the populationThe COUSP and the INSP play an essential role in protecting the health of all citizens in the face of current and future challenges.