(Pictured from left to right: Wendy Williams, Sharin Vile, Aleesha Kalulu, and Leila Bell)
Many countries struggle to handle public health emergencies, and the COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in disease tracking and monitoring systems.
These challenges are even greater in the Pacific due to a shortage of healthcare workers and facilities, as well as the difficulty of reaching remote, dispersed communities.
The 7-1-7 tool helps countries respond to disease outbreaks faster. It sets clear goals to find an outbreak in seven days or less, report it to the relevant authorities within one day, and take early action to control it in less than seven days.
Burnet is working with its partners in the Pacific region to see how the 7-1-7 approach can work alongside existing processes by trialling the tool in collaboration with the Vanuatu Government.
Dr Jane Greig, Burnet co-head of the Pacific Infectious Diseases (Operational Research, Surveillance and Resilience) working group, said the tool provides real-time assessments of public health action against infectious disease threats.
“The 7-1-7 approach helps pinpoint both the strengths and bottlenecks in outbreak detection, notification, and response,” she said.
“By assessing response speeds, we can quickly address delays where possible and implement long-term solutions for the future.”
The first 7-1-7 tool application in Vanuatu used data from past outbreaks to determine its relevance and whether it needed to be adapted to local needs. This could include adjusting for limited access to lab-based diagnoses and increasing focus on available resources and expertise.
Results from piloting the tool in five countries showed its value, and the increasing adoption reflects its effectiveness in both resource-rich and resource-limited settings.
The project is a partnership between Burnet, the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization Vanuatu Country Office, the Pacific Community and Resolve to Save Lives.
Ongoing work with partners at the Vanuatu Ministry of Health will identify how the 7-1-7 approach can be integrated into routine outbreak detection, notification and response processes to support regular, rapid review and system improvements in real time.
“We aim to share what we learn with teams in other Pacific countries, working together to strengthen outbreak response resilience in the region,” Dr Greig said.
“Every public health event is an opportunity to learn and improve.”