Improving disease outbreak response time in the Pacific: 7-1-7 tool testing

Many countries are not fully prepared to respond to public health threats. One major problem seen in the COVID-19 pandemic was having weak systems to track and monitor diseases. In the Pacific, these issues are even harder to solve because there are not enough healthcare workers, hospitals or clinics. It’s also difficult to deliver health services to people living far apart in small groups.

The 7-1-7 tool is an approach that helps determine how quickly health systems find and respond to disease outbreaks. It sets clear goals to:

find an outbreak in 7 days or less
report it to the relevant authorities within 1 day, and
take early action to control it in 7 days or less.

A key aim of assessing the speed of response is to identify issues that are causing delays and resolve these challenges quickly where possible, or plan how to solve them over time.

The tool has worked well in places with many resources, as well as places with very few resources. However, it hasn’t yet been tested in Pacific island countries.

Burnet is working with partners to see how the 7-1-7 approach can work alongside existing policies and processes Pacific island countries use to track and respond to disease outbreaks.

Testing the 7-1-7 tool in Pacific island countries

The work will start in Vanuatu and another Pacific island country. It will involve working with partners such as the Ministry of Health, Vanuatu and 'One Health' stakeholders, as well as regional technical partners such as the Pacific Community (SPC). Together, we will:

train disease surveillance teams in how to use the tool and how it fits in with international security frameworks
conduct operational research to measure potential and actual impact of using the 7-1-7 tool
explore how the tool could support ‘One Health’ collaborations, and improve activities related to gender equality, disability and social inclusion, or GEDSI
share the findings across the region and developing recommendations
use findings to support improvements in national and regional outbreak response systems
support collaborators to publish and translate findings into practice.

One Health is about balancing and improving the health of people, animals, and the wider environment (including ecosystems). It recognises that all 3 aspects are connected and depend on each other (OHHLEP, Adisasmito et al., 2022).

After reviewing the disease tracking system and identifying key people and organisations involved, we will work with our partners to test the 7-1-7 tool using data from past outbreaks. We will also talk about how it could improve current processes.

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Wendy Williams, Aleesha Kalulu, Leila Bell and Sharin Vile (Vanuatu Ministry of Health).

Aleesha facilitating the first Pacific held 7-1-7 workshop in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

Tabletop simulation exercise applying the 7-1-7 Tool to past Vanuatu outbreak data.

Aleesha and Annie testing the 7-1-7 tool with past Vanuatu outbreak data.

Dr Cyrille Goarant, epidemiologist at the Pacific Community (SPC), presenting on One Health initiatives in the Pacific Region.

Wendy Williams facilitating the first Pacific held 7-1-7 workshop in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

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Pictured above are images of the team in Vanuatu, including workshop facilitation. Click on an image to access detailed captions.

Strengthening disease outbreak systems

Learnings from this project will be used to support the integration of the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Early Action Reviews for improved disease outbreak management. The 7-1-7 approach is a key component of Early Action Reviews.

The findings will also be used to adapt, if necessary, the 7-1-7 tool for Pacific island countries and Territories interested in applying it.

Strengthening health systems in Pacific island countries and territories can improve how outbreaks are managed, leading to better health and wellbeing.

For example:

outbreaks can be stopped or controlled more quickly, saving more lives and preventing illness
the 7-1-7 tool, adapted to the needs of Pacific communities, helps solve problems and improve outbreak response
sharing knowledge and experiences between Pacific island countries boosts teamwork and encourages others to adopt effective practices
knowledge sharing between Pacific island countries develops local research skills, and helps communities focus on solving their most important health challenges
the 7-1-7 tool helps health resources be used more efficiently, guiding decisions about funding and planning
outbreak management approaches that are intentionally inclusive can make healthcare more accessible and beneficial to everyone.