The Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) and the Romanian Red Cross are organising on Wednesday, between 9:00 and 17:00, in Bucharest, a table-top simulation exercise dedicated to managing a public health crisis, carried out within the PREPSHIELD European project.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES, the exercise's main objective is to test inter-institutional coordination mechanisms, decision-making capacity under conditions of uncertainty and public communication in emergency situations generated by threats to public health.

'The exercise simulates the emergence and spread of a new influenza A virus with pandemic potential, characterised by rapid transmission within the community, pressure on the healthcare system and significant social impact. Throughout the exercise, participants will receive progressive information on the evolution of the simulated situation and will be asked to analyse the context, make operational and strategic decisions and develop public communication messages,' the quoted press release reads.

The exercise will take place in several successive rounds reflecting the initial emergence of the threat, the escalation of the epidemiological situation, the social and operational impact of the crisis and the adaptation of measures and communication depending on the evolution of the scenario.

Representatives of the Department for Emergency Situations and the Romanian Red Cross, government institutions in charge of emergency management, public health authorities, intervention and emergency management structures, non-governmental organisations, the academic environment and crisis communication experts will participate in the exercise.

'Through this exercise held in Bucharest, we are strengthening the capacity for coordinated response in public health crises and testing, in an inter-institutional framework, the communication and cooperation mechanisms essential for protecting the population. The active participation of all partners within the PREPSHIELD project contributes to the development of European best practices and to increasing societal resilience in the face of emergency situations,' said Daniel Modoaca, director of the Department for Emergency Situations within the Romanian Red Cross.

The exercise organised in Bucharest represents the third pilot carried out within the PREPSHIELD European project, following similar exercises organised in Hamburg, Germany, and Eastern Piedmont, Italy, contributing to the development of best practices at European level in the area of preparedness for public health crises.

PREPSHIELD is a European research project funded by the European Union, aimed at improving society's preparedness for public health crises and disasters through a citizen-centred approach and cooperation between authorities and communities. The project develops digital tools, an AI-based platform and a mobile application, guidelines for best practices and communication mechanisms for the effective management of crisis situations. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Roberto Stan; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)