The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) successfully participated through its health representatives in the regional Training of Trainers and Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) training, held at the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center (NCCTRC) Bees Creek Training Facility in Darwin, Australia, from 2 to 6 June 2025.
The five-day training, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center (NCCTRC) under the Public Health Operations in Emergencies for National Strengthening in the Indo-Pacific (PHOENIX) program, brought together health professionals from 18 countries across the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The training workshop focused on strengthening emergency preparedness and response coordination using simulation-based learning and the Incident Management System (IMS) approach.
Representing the Solomon Islands were: Ms. Jane Saepioh, Public Health Emergency and Surveillance Unit (PHESU), MHMS, Ms. Lorraine Satorara, Provincial Health Director, Central Islands Province, and Ms. Lanique Pitasua, WHO Solomon Islands Technical Support Officer.
“This training is timely and critical for building our capacity to manage public health emergencies response,” said Ms. Saepioh. “It will support training at both national and provincial levels and help improve health emergency operations coordination across the country.”
Participants received hands-on experience in areas such as:
• Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) structure and functions
• Incident Management System (IMS) for coordinated response
• Risk communication and health intelligence
• Emergency logistics and real-time simulation exercises
The training also reinforced alignment with global frameworks such as the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), the Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF), and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030).
MHMS sincerely appreciates WHO, NCCTRC, and the PHOENIX team for their technical leadership in delivering this vital training. We also extend our gratitude to the PHOENIX program for sponsoring attendance and to the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for funding participant support, ensuring full engagement in this initiative.
This training marks a significant step forward in MHMS’s commitment to strengthening Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response systems. While Public Health Emergency and Surveillance Unit (PHESU) currently leads coordination efforts under the National Health Emergency Plan (NHEP 2017) arrangement, the training workshop emphasized the urgent need for a dedicated, fully equipped MHMS National Health Emergency Operations Center (NHEOC). Such a center is essential to ensure a timely, efficient, and well-coordinated response to future public health emergencies.
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