Pandemic influenza

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Exercise Programme - Background and objectives

The past two years has seen the Ministry of Health engage the government sector, and particularly the health sector, in a period of intensive planning for a potential influenza pandemic. This work has culminated in the development of the New Zealand Influenza Pandemic Action Plan (NZIPAP).

With the NZIPAP completed a programme of exercises took place to review these plans in order to confirm and develop a robust national response to a pandemic.

The Ministry of Health's 2006/07 Exercise Programme consisted of two major exercises. The first exercise, Exercise Makgill, aimed to assess the most difficult aspects of pandemic planning. Lessons learnt from the initial exercise in November 2006 enabled existing plans to be modified and reassessed in the major exercise Exercise Cruickshank which took place in May 2007.

The names of the exercises were chosen as they all relate to the 1918 influenza epidemic in New Zealand.

The key objectives of the Exercise Programme were to:

• gauge the capability and capacity of the health sector and central and local government agencies to respond to and recover from an influenza pandemic
• review the processes for coordination, communication, leadership and governance during a pandemic
• provide a forum for intersectoral review and discussion of pandemic plans
• inform policy, operational process, capability and capacity for 2007-2010.

Page last updated: June 2007