VHS-CDC Project ASPIRE Supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Division of Global HIV & TB (CDC-DGHT) (2020 - 2025

Background

The Voluntary Health Services (VHS), Chennai with the support from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Division of Global Health Protection (DGHP) is implementing the project on “Accelerating Sustainability of Public Health Systems in India to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Infectious Disease Outbreaks and Other Public Health Emergencies” (named as VHS-CDC Project NIRANTAR) for the period from August 2020 to September 2025.

The project support in implementing strategic activities pertaining to two components such as: Component 1: Core GHS Priorities and Component 2: Rapid Response to Small Scale Infectious Disease Outbreaks or other Public Health Emergencies.

The purpose is to strengthen district, state and national public health systems in India to sustain and continue to prevent, detect, and respond to disease threats across the country.

The project supports the Healthy People 2030 goal and objectives such as: a) increase the number of public health events of international importance that are monitored and reported; b) increase the number of individuals trained globally to prevent, detect, or respond to public health threats; and c) increase the laboratory diagnostic testing capacity, surveillance system, and routine reporting in countries and regionally.

The project NIRANTAR with the support of CDC-DGHP is working closely with Government of India (GoI) and other key stakeholders both at national and state level such as: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW); Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS); National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC-Epidemiology and One Health Division); Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP); Department of Animal Husbandry, ICAR, ICMR, IVRI, AIIMS-Bibi Nagar; Disaster Management Cell (DMC); NITI Aayog; Ministry of Home Affairs (National Disaster Management Authority [NDMA], National Institute of Disaster Management [NIDM], National Disaster Response Force [NDRF]); Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAD); Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC); National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE); World Health Organization (WHO); State Government (Department of Medicine, Health and Family Welfare [DoMHFW]; National Health Mission [NHM] and State Surveillance Unit [SSU]); and other key stakeholders.

The project is in the process of execution of the planned activities in a coordinated manner by involving and engaging key government stakeholders and other institutions at national and state level and continue to contribute to achieve the desired goal and objectives of the project.

This project has its Project Management Unit (PMU) office at VHS, Chennai and its field offices at New Delhi. In addition to this, the project has also positioned a core technical team at NCDC, WHO and NIDM at New Delhi and ICMR-NIE at Chennai.

Strategies

The key strategies and activities of Project NIRANTAR are:
1. Strategy 2: Strengthen Workforce Development Capacity (WFD): Coordinate with MoHFW, and NCDC to sustain effective and coordinated prevention, detection, and response to outbreaks by competent and skilled multi-sectoral workforce.
2. Strategy 5: Strengthen Public Health Emergency Management and Response and Border Health (EMR & BH): Support with Emergency Management and Response (EMR), MoHFW, NDMA, NIDM-Ministry of Home Affairs and other international organizations to build emergency management systems and EOC planning, guidance and training to respond to outbreaks and public health threats.
3. Strategy 6: Strengthen Implementation of IHR (2005) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: Assist the MoHFW, NCDC, and WHO to establish and implement a National Action Plan.
4. Strategy 7: Strengthen implementation of Public Health Programs (supporting development of an oversight committee): Coordinate with CDC, General of Health Services, MoHFW, to achieve sustainability of program priorities, establish a platform of evidenced based research, work with CDC and CDC implementing partners to align processes and procedures with GoI priorities.
With the technical guidance of CDC and in close coordination with CDC, developed partnerships with all key stakeholders both at national and state level for implementing strategy specific activities in a coordinated and sustainable manner.

Key Achievements

Strengthen Workforce Development capacity (WFD):

Supported and developed the training packages, branding of resource materials and systems for conducting FETP and SectorConnect: FEP-OH training programs with the involvement of CDC and key stakeholders.
Contributed and supported in conducting FETP and SectorConnect: FEP-OH trainings in 9 States covering 165 districts / jurisdictions and capacitated 403 District Public Health Workforce and 108 mentors. Also contributed to the completion of 294 assignments on Surveillance Data Analysis and Outbreak Investigations.
Collaborated with key stakeholders and extended need-based support in establishing comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS). Contributed in developing 32 e-modules, video film on LMS, and providing ongoing admin support for managing LMS platform in close coordination with all the hubs associated with Frontline, Intermediate and Advanced FETPs in India.
Supported and contributed for onboarding of 5 cohorts in LMS platform, uploaded 143 modules, demonstrated the LMS platform in 2 national level trainings, integrated SectorConnect: FEP-OH model in LMS platform, resolved the issues in respect to each hub, and generation of reports.
Collaborated with stakeholders in dissemination of 63 oral presentation; 52 poster presentations; and 10 field stories in 6 conferences / plenary sessions.
Supported in organizing national faculty workshop, India-FETP conference, printing of Roadmap for ‘One-India’ FETP, national level consultation workshops, review meetings, etc.
Developed and brought out more than 30 publications including brochure, concept notes, training manuals, reports, guidelines, etc (Credits to Publications to NCDC and CDC).

Strengthen Emergency Management and Response Capacity (EM) and Border Health (BH):

Established PHEOC at Uttarakhand and Field HEOC at Khumbh Mela during Covid-19 pandemic. Establishing Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in NCDC.
Developed learning package (22 modules / e-learning packages) for Rapid Response Team (RRT) Training in the context of Covid-19 and capacitated 6,288 participants through online training. Capacitated more than 140 health professionals in Uttarakhand State.
Extended strategic technical support in development of SOPs, guidelines, training manuals, concept notes, and other documents on Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Developed modules and systems for Community Emergency Management Team (CEMT) and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. Capacitated more than 300 people on CEMT and CERT.
Conducted weekly webinar series and other online training programs and contributed for capacitating more than 7,000 members on Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management (PHEDM) in partnership in partnership with NCDC, NIDM and CDC.
Developed V-Tier training plan, systems and packages for training personnel at different levels on PHEDM and conducted training in 4 States.
Organized panel discussions on Public Health Preparedness and Response during 5th & 6th World Congress on Disaster Management.
Organized more than 30 state and national level conferences, workshops and technical sessions, for capacitating, dissemination and developing guidelines.
Developed and brought out more than 40 publications including training manuals, reports, guidelines, etc.
Extending strategic support on Border Health in implementing the development of Public Health Emergency Response Plans (PHERP) for Point of Entries (PoE) with technical support from the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) and CDC-DGHP. The project also supports in development of PHERPs, SOPs for PoEs (border posts, airports and maritime ports) and capacitating the designated the PoEs and strengthen border surveillance program.
The project also strategically contributes to coordination with CDC and other stakeholders to strengthen implementation of IHR (2005) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework; and strengthen implementation of Public Health Programs (supporting development of an oversight committee).
The project continues to pilot models / innovations, document and disseminate on regular basis with the engagement of all key stakeholders at all levels.

Other initiatives:

Established a robust Monitoring and Evaluation system and facilitating experience sharing, reviewing, identifying gaps, evolving plans to overcome gaps, and to achieve the desired goal and objectives of the project.
CDC India Cooperative Agreement (CoAg) Monthly Meetings are being conducted between CDC team and project team for reviewing the activities, finalizing the plans, addressing the challenges, and ensuring coordination for successful implementation of the planned activities.
The project has introduced robust documentation system. As a part of the documentation, the project develops and share the documents for dissemination of learnings, experiences, with key stakeholders in a systematic manner.

Key Publications

Photos

Contact Us

Director - Projects
CHARTERED - Projects Division
The Voluntary Health Services (VHS)
Rajiv Gandhi Salai, TTTI Post,
Taramani, Chennai – 600 113.
Email ID: williams@vhsprojects.org

For additional information on VHS Projects Division - CHARTERED, its objectives, partnerships, key activities, projects managed, overall achievements, key publications, and publications for downloading, please visit or click Here

VHS-CDC Project NIRANTAR Supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Division of Global Health Protection (CDC-DGHP) (2020 - 2025 - ongoing project)