Strengthening Rapid Response to Public Health Emergencies in Kwango Province, DRC
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by
AFENET
Kenge, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 12 September 2026 — The Kwango Provincial Health Division (DPS), with technical support from the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), has strengthened the capacity of health officials to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies through a three-day training for Rapid Response Team (RRT) managers.
Held from 10–12 September 2026 in Kenge, Kwango Province, the training brought together 10 managers from the Kwango Provincial Health Division. The activity was supported through the Ebola Resilience Project, with funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC).
The training comes amid the need to strengthen provincial preparedness for recurring public health threats, including disease outbreaks such as cholera, measles and yellow fever, as well as natural disasters and other emergencies. While participating managers had previously received training in Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response, additional capacity building was needed to strengthen their ability to manage and coordinate rapid response operations.
Building a stronger team for emergency response
Over the three days, participants strengthened their knowledge and practical skills in the organization, preparation, deployment, coordination and management of Rapid Response Teams.
Sessions covered the implementation and management of RRTs, preparation and intervention phases, the operation of Public Health Emergency Operations Centers, staffing and duty rosters, administrative considerations, and the activation, pre-deployment, deployment and post-deployment phases of emergency response.
Rather than relying solely on classroom presentations, the workshop used an adult-learning approach that combined presentations, guided reading, group exercises, practical activities and plenary discussions. Facilitators from AFENET-DRC and the Kwango DPS Management Team guided participants through the sessions and encouraged the exchange of experiences from the field.
The Head of the Kwango Provincial Health Division participated in the workshop alongside the Head of the INFOSAN Office and the AFENET-DRC team. During the opening and closing sessions, participants were encouraged to apply the skills gained to strengthen the management of public health incidents in Kwango Province and beyond.
From training to action
By the end of the workshop, the ten managers had strengthened their capacity to prepare, coordinate, deploy and manage interventions during public health emergencies. The report highlighted strong participation, practical group work and experience sharing as important strengths of the training.
The training also identified areas requiring continued attention, including the need for more practical simulations, improved logistical capacity for rapid deployments, stronger post-training supervision, updated standard operating procedures, improved connectivity and increased participation of women in emergency response training.
With a new core group of trained RRT managers, Kwango Province is better positioned to strengthen preparedness, surveillance and coordinated response to public health emergencies across its health zones. AFENET-DRC will continue providing technical support to the Kwango DPS, including capacity building in alert investigation, data analysis and public health incident management.
