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Unit 31: Focal Point for the Public Health Service, Crisis Management, Outbreak Investigations and Training Programmes

Head:
Ute Rexroth
Deputy:
Katharina Alpers, Ariane Halm

Tasks

The contact point for the Public Health Service (PHS) is located in unit 31. Both unit 31 and 32 (Surveillance and Electronic Reporting and Information System (DEMIS)) act as the Public Health sector contact points and coordinate and support several committees and networks in the PHS. In terms of content, unit 31 is responsible for crisis management, outbreak investigations and training programmes.

The unit is involved in various teaching activities on applied infectious disease epidemiology, crisis management and other topics for the PHS and other target groups, among others in cooperation with the federal states and academies, e.g. in the structured training of medical officers and training of other professional groups in the PHS as well as the Epikurs@RKI.

Crisis Management (Team 31.1)

International Notifications

Infectious disease events of potential international relevance must be communicated in a timely manner to ensure appropriate infection control measures. The Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) based on EU Regulation 2022/2371 and the system of national focal points of the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) are used for this purpose.

Epidemic Intelligence

Epidemic Intelligence includes the creation and editing of guiding documents, risk assessments and the weekly epidemiological situation conference (EpiLag).

Generic national crisis planning and management

In order to protect the health of the population in epidemically significant situations related to infectious diseases through an improved crisis response, the RKI develops framework concepts, conducts exercises and provides coping and evaluation tools, including in(tra)- and after-action reviews.

RKI internal crisis management

This area includes the further development of internal crisis plans, coordination and organisation of the RKI emergency operations centre during epidemically significant situations as well as the planning, implementation and evaluation of simulation exercises.

Infection protection and travel

The aim is to prevent and control the transmission of infectious diseases during travel to protect the public against potential outbreaks or their further spread.

Infection protection in the context of migration and social and health inequality

Social inequality is associated with specific risks for the occurrence and progression of infectious diseases. Marginalisation and structural disadvantage in the sense of precarious living, housing and working conditions, as well as aspects of residence law, access to information and care, discrimination and racism play a central role here. The focus in this thematic area is therefore on improving infection protection, considering social and health inequality and the associated specific prevention and care needs. Special attention is paid to the topic of migration. Cooperation with practitioners and relevant population groups is essential.

Networks and committees:

  • Focal point for the PHS with interfaces to the specialist unit 32 for Surveillance and other specialist units of Department 3
  • Coordination of the weekly epidemiological telephone conference (EpiLag)
  • Representation of the RKI as a guest in the sub-working group of the IHR-designated airports
  • Representation of the RKI as a guest in the working group of the coastal countries for ship sanitation (AkKü)
  • National coordinator for Germany's cooperation with the ECDC
  • Cooperation in the network of ECDC National Focal Points for Threat detection EWRS/IHR and Preparedness and Response
  • Representation of the RKI at the working group meeting of the Health Security Committee (HSC) of the EU Commission
  • RKI contact point for the Joint Reporting and Situation Centre of the Federal Government and the Federal States (GMLZ, National IHR Focal Point) as the IHR contact point for infectious diseases
  • Representation of the RKI at the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the subject of IHR as IHR focal point for infectious diseases
  • Representation of the RKI at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Network (EOC-NET) of the WHO
  • Representation of the RKI in the network "Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA)"
  • Representation of the RKI in the Health Committee of the Federal Working Group on Homelessness (BAG W)
  • Representation of the RKI in the Pandemic Preparedness Committee of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI)

International Cooperation (Team 31.2)

  • Coordination and implementation of international projects, e.g. as part of externally funded projects such as the Global Health Protection Programme and the German Biosafety Programme
  • Needs-based support for partner countries potentially in all tasks and subject areas of unit 31 based on experience in Germany
  • Strengthening the IHR-implementation in partner countries
  • Strengthening national and regional capacities in partner countries in the areas of crisis prevention, outbreak containment, crisis response and intersectoral collaboration, in(tra)- and after-action reviews
  • Methodological design and implementation of context-adjusted training courses and workshops on concept development, IHR capacities and support in the planning, implementation and evaluation of simulation exercises
  • Close collaboration with, among others, the Centre for International Health Protection at the RKI on international activities
  • Strengthening networking between the German PHS and international partners
Networks and committees:
  • Contact point in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology for the WHO Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network (GOARN)
  • Representation of the RKI in the network coordinated by Africa CDC and WHO to strengthen Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) in the WHO AFRO and EMRO region
  • Representation of the RKI in the Technical Advisory Committee of the African Public Health Emergency Management Fellowships (PHEM)
  • Representation of the RKI in the Public Health Professional Development Committee of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI)
  • Collaboration with the German Epidemic Preparedness Team (SEEG) on the topic of intersectoral collaboration

Outbreak investigations (Team 31.3)

  • Coordination of requests for assistance by the PHS, composition, supervision and support of the RKI task forces
  • (Further) development of handouts for the PHS, deployment evaluation and reporting on outbreak investigations
  • Technical support for the PHS at federal state and municipal level in risk assessment, outbreak investigations, interpretation in the context of administrative assistance
  • Support for intervention research and evaluation of public health measures in the German PHS on the topic of outbreak investigations
  • Support for pathogen-specific RKI units
  • Collaboration with national and international partners and networks, e.g. experts and epidemiologists from the federal states, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Networks and committees:

  • Participation in the Advisory Group der EU Health Task Force (EUHTF) of the ECDC
  • Coordination of the exchange between the group of federal states on "Infectious disease epidemiology Task Forces"

Postgraduate Training in Applied Epidemiology (PAE) (Team 31.4)

  • Organisation and scientific coordination of the two-year Postgraduate Training in Applied Epidemiology (PAE)
  • Cooperation with the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET)
  • Planning and realisation of the Master’s degree in Applied Epidemiology (MSAE) in cooperation with the Charité and the Berlin School of Public Health (BSPH)
  • Management of the "Master’s degree in Applied Epidemiology (MSAE)" programme
  • Supervision and training of PAE and EPIET Fellows
  • Statistical supervision of PAE projects
  • Collaboration in the implementation of courses within EPIET (European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training)
  • Cooperation with the European Programme for Public Health Microbiology Training (EUPHEM)
  • Expansion of the PAE programme into the federal states
  • Expansion of e-learning offers and web seminars for the PHS

Networks and committees:

  • Contact point for Germany in the network of ECDC National Focal Points Training, Coordination Committee
  • Representation of the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the EPIET Training Site Forum
  • Collaboration in the Training Programmes in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET)

Projects

Ongoing projects

  • ILEAs - Institutional learning from epidemically significant situations: joint project of the Academy for Public Health (AÖGW), the State Office for Occupational Safety, Consumer Protection and Health (LAVG) in the State of Brandenburg and the RKI, funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), 2023 to 2026
  • Fellowship Programme EPIET/EUPHEM, ongoing since 1996
  • FETP4ÖGD - Creation of an evidence base for the development of an effective and compact training programme for the public health service to combat epidemics: A project of the RKI with the participation of the AÖGW and the Technical University of Dresden with the aim of developing framework recommendations for the concrete design of a Basic and Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETPs) for the German municipal public health service, until 31.12.2024
  • Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP): Supporting partner countries in dealing with outbreaks, strengthening crisis management and preparedness and building resilient health systems, including with regard to the corresponding IHR capacities, Phase II, 2023 to 2025
    Within this framework, four sub-projects are being implemented by unit 31:
    • WASP (Western Balkan Strategic Partnership for Health Protection), multidisciplinary project with other RKI units, building on GETPrepaRed (Global Emergency Trainings and support for Preparedness and Response to Disease outbreaks, since 2016)
    • TwiNit 2.0 (Twinning Project for the establishment of the Namibian Institute for Public Health), multidisciplinary project with other RKI units, building on TwiNit (since 2020)
    • ProTECt II (Project on Training for Public Health Emergency Operations Centres), collaboration with WHO regional offices and member states on PHEOC capacity building, building on ProTECt (since 2020)
    • Participation in EMT_TTT (Emergency Medical Teams Twinning, Training, Transfer of Knowledge). To strengthen the capacities of the RKI for GOARN, SEEG and EMT missions, an additional PAE Fellow will be employed for the duration of the project.
  • German Biosecurity Programme, strengthening crisis management in Tunisia with a focus on the subnational level and a cross-sectoral approach, Phase IV, 2023 to 2025

Completed projects (selection)

  • IHR Summer School Revision, evaluation and revision of the workshop concept of the IHR Summer School, 2017-2022
  • PANDEM-2: PANDEM-2 is an EU-funded project under Horizon2020 that aims to develop new solutions for efficient, EU-wide pandemic management, 2021 to 2023
  • Joint project as part of Infect Control 2020: "Effective strategies for controlling and dealing with pathogen spread in air transport" (HyFly), sub-project 5 (TV5) "Epidemiological evaluation of infection transmission in airport infrastructure building and in the aircraft transport system", 2016 to 2019
  • Development of algorithms for situation assessment and situation updating for exceptional biological hazards using the Early Alerting and Reporting Platform (ELLA project), 2016 to 2018
  • CHAFEA - Entry and Exit Screening Training, work package evaluation, 2018 to 2019
  • WHO Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response project: Development and implementation of guidelines for outbreak investigation and response and training of trainers in partner countries in Central Asia, 2014 to 2017
  • EU JA-SHARP: The Joint Action SHARP aims to promote preparedness planning in the EU for serious cross-border health threats and the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005), 2019 - 2023
  • EU project "Coordinated action to control infectious diseases transmitted on the aircrafts (AIRSAN)", 2013 to 2015
  • EU research project "Risk assessment guidelines for infectious diseases transmitted on aircraft (RAGIDA)", 2008
  • EU research project "REACT-EU", 2008 to 201
  • Online survey: "Retrospective study of the RKI's field operations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (in 2020-2021)"
  • GOPA "Intensification of cooperation between the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and the Postgraduate Training in Applied Epidemiology (PAE)", 2018-2021
  • Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of WHO-FAO-OIE for a One Health Field Epidemiology Competency Framework

Date: 05.06.2024

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Publications

  • Schöll M, Höhn C, Boucsein J, Moek F, Plath J, An der Heiden M, Huska M, Kröger S, Paraskevopoulou S, Siffczyk C, Buchholz U, Lachmann R (2024): Bus Riding as Amplification Mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 Transmission, Germany, 2021.
    Emerg Infect Dis. 30 (4): 711-720. doi: 10.3201/eid3004.231299. more

  • Fekadu ST, Gebrewahid AL, Mankoula W, Eteng W, Lokossou V, Kawe Y, Abdullah A, Jian L, Kol MTM, Wilton MC, Rosenfeld E, Bemo VN, Collard E, McGinley L, Halm A, Aragaw M, Conteh IN, Braka F, Gueye AS (2023): Public health emergency operations centres in Africa: a cross-sectional study assessing the implementation status of core components and areas for improvement December 2021.
    BMJ Open, 13 (6): 13:e068934. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068934. more

show all

  • Kuehne A, Raiser SG, Dörre A, Mertens E, Charles T, Siffczyk C, Aktuna G, Zunk J, Alpers K (2023): Trainingsprogramme in angewandter Epidemiologie für den öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst in Deutschland – Bestandsaufnahme und Ausblick.
    Public Health Forum, 31 (4): 362-366. doi: 10.1515/pubhef-2023-0128. more

  • an der Heiden M, Schilling J, Rexroth U (2023): Pandemic Preparedness im Rahmen der Internationalen Gesundheitsvorschriften (IGV): Die Rolle des ÖGD
    Public Health Forum 31 (4): doi: 10.1515/pubhef-2023-0097. more

  • Eteng WO, Lilay A, Tekeste S, Mankoula W, Collard E, Waya C, Rosenfeld E, Wilton CM, Muita M, McGinley L, Kawe Y, Abdullah A, Halm A, Li J, Lokossou VL, Kanoute Y, Sonko I, Aragaw M, Ouma AO (2023): Strengthening COVID-19 pandemic response coordination through public health emergency operations centres (PHEOC) in Africa: Review of a multi-faceted knowledge management and sharing approach, 2020-2021.
    PLOS Glob Public Health 3 (6): doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001386. more

  • Hörig M, Klaes SM, Krasovski-Nikiforovs S, van Loon W, Murajda L, Rodriguez RCO, Schade C, Spech A, Equihua Martinez G, Zimmermann R, Mockenhaupt FP, Seybold J, Lindner AK, Sarma N (2023): A COVID-19 isolation facility for people experiencing homelessness in Berlin, Germany: a retrospective patient record study
    Frontiers in Public Health 11: doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1147558. more

  • Moek F, Rohde A, Schöll M, Seidel J, Baum JHJ, an der Heiden M (2022): Attack Rate for Wild-Type SARS-CoV-2 during Air Travel: Results from 46 Flights Traced by German Health Authorities, January-March and June-August 2020.
    Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol.: 8364666. doi: 10.1155/2022/8364666. more

  • Kajikhina K, Koschollek C, Bozorgmehr K, Sarma N, Hövener C (2023): Rassismus und Diskriminierung im Kontext gesundheitlicher Ungleichheit – ein narratives Review.
    Bundesgesundheitsbl 66: 1099–1108. doi: 10.1007/s00103-023-03764-7. more

  • Kajikhina K, Sarma N, Hauer B, Hövener C, Dietrich M, Wieler LH (2022): Fluchtmigration: Für eine gute Gesundheit sorgen.
    Dtsch Arztebl 119 (17): 764-768. more

  • Schöll M, Seidel J, Boldt M, Czerwonka H, Ehlkes L, Frühsammer L, Ippisch S, Rexroth U & an der Heiden M (2022): In(tra)-Action Review (IAR): COVID-19-Management an IGV-benannten Flughäfen in Deutschland, September 2020 bis Mai 2021.
    Epidemiologisches Bulletin (23): 3-11. doi: 10.25646/10120. more

  • Hoebel J, Haller S, Bartig S, Michalski N, Marwuis A. Diercke M, Schmid-Küpke, N, Wichmann O, Sarma N, Schaade L, Hövener C (2022): Soziale Ungleichheit und COVID-19 in Deutschland – Wo stehen wir in der vierten Pandemiewelle?
    Epid Bull (5): 3-10. doi: 10.25646/9555. more

  • Zimmermann R, Sarma N, Thieme-Thörel D, Alpers K, Artelt T, Azouagh K, Bremer B, Broistedt P, Eckmanns T, Feltgen N, Huska M, Kröger S, Puls A, Scheithauer S, Mayr E, Rexroth U (2021): COVID-19 Outbreaks in Settings With Precarious Housing Conditions in Germany: Challenges and Lessons Learned.
    Front Public Health. 9 (708694): doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.708694. more

  • Alpers K, Haller S, Buchholz U; RKI Feldteam (2021): Untersuchung von SARS-CoV-2-Ausbrüchen in Deutschland durch Feldteams des Robert Koch-Instituts, Februar–Oktober 2020.
    Bundesgesundheitsbl 64 (4): 446–453. Epub Mar 17. doi: 10.1007/s00103-021-03296-y. more

  • Bender JK, Brandl M, Höhle M, Buchholz U, Zeitlmann N (2021): Analysis of Asymptomatic and Presymptomatic Transmission in SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak, Germany, 2020.
    Emerg. Infect. Dis. 27 (4): 1159-1163. Epub Feb 18. doi: 10.3201/eid2704.204576. more

  • Grote U, Arvand M, Brinkwirth S, Brunke M, Buchholz U, Eckmanns T, von Kleist M, Niebank M, Ruehe B, Schulze K, Stoliaroff-Pépin A, Thanheiser M, Schaade L, Said D, Haas W (2021): Maßnahmen zur Bewältigung der COVID-19-Pandemie in Deutschland: nichtpharmakologische und pharmakologische Ansätze.
    Bundesgesundheitsbl 64 (4): 435–445. doi: 10.1007/s00103-021-03306-z. more

  • Halm A, Grote U, an der Heiden M, Hamouda O, Schaade L, Rexroth U; RKI-Lagezentrums-Gruppe (2021): Das Lagemanagement des Robert Koch-Instituts während der COVID-19-Pandemie und der Austausch zwischen Bund und Ländern.
    Bundesgesundheitsbl 64 (4): 418–425. doi: 10.1007/s00103-021-03294-0. more

  • Kleine-Kampmann S, Schöll M, Ehlers L, Hewelt E, Götsch U, Göbels K, Ippisch S, Seidel J, Thanheiser M, Schindler B, Kalkowski M, Boldt M, Dirksen-Fischer M, von Münster T, Jeglitza M, Chmielewska J, Sangs A, Mouchtouri B, Rexroth U, an der Heiden M (2021): Flug- und Schiffsverkehr während der COVID-19-Pandemie in Deutschland: Herausforderungen für den Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst.
    Bundesgesundheitsbl 64 (4): 454–462. doi: 10.1007/s00103-021-03297-x. more

  • Lindner AK, Sarma N et al. (2021): Monitoring for COVID-19 by universal testing in a homeless shelter in Germany: a prospective feasibility cohort study.
    BMC Infect. Dis. 21 (1): 1241. Epub Dec 11. doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-06945-4. more

  • Loenenbach A, Markus I, Lehfeld AS, an der Heiden M, Haas W, Kiegele M, Ponzi A, Unger-Goldinger B, Weidenauer C, Schlosser H, Beile A, Buchholz U (2021): SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 susceptibility and infectiousness of children and adults deduced from investigations of childcare centre outbreaks, Germany, 2021.
    Euro Surveill. 26 (21): pii=2100433. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.21.2100433. more

  • Markus I, Steffen G, Lachmann R, Marquis A, Schneider T, Tomczyk S, Koppe U, Rohde AM, Schink SB, Seifried J, Domaszewska T, Rexroth U, An der Heiden M (2021): COVID-19: cross-border contact tracing in Germany, February to April 2020.
    Euro Surveill. 26 (10): 2001236. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.10.2001236. more

  • Milde-Busch A, Zeitlmann N, Mücke I, Gilsdorf A, Rexroth U, an der Heiden M; EpiLag-Working Group (2021): Ten years of weekly epidemiological teleconference (EpiLag) – an effective and time-efficient tool for infectious disease event information, Germany, 2009–2018.
    Epidemiol. Infect. 149: e115. Epub Apr 12. doi: 10.1017/S095026882100073X. more

  • Zimmermann R, Sarma N, Thieme-Thörel D, Alpers K, Artelt T, Azouagh K, Bremer V, Broistedt P, Eckmanns T, Feltgen N, Huska M, Kröger S, Puls A, Scheithauer S, Mayr E, Rexroth U (2021): COVID-19 outbreaks in settings with precarious housing conditions in Germany: challenges and lessons learned.
    Front. Public Health 9: 708694. Epub Sep 21. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.708694. more

  • Böhmer MM, Buchholz U, Corman VM, Hoch M, Katz K, Marosevic DV, Böhm S, Woudenberg T, Ackermann N, Konrad R, Eberle U, Treis B, Dangel A, Bengs K, Fingerle V, Berger A, Hörmansdorfer S, Ippisch S, Wicklein B, Grahl A, Pörtner K, Muller N, Zeitlmann N, Boender TS, Cai W, Reich A, An der Heiden M, Rexroth U, Hamouda O, Schneider J, Veith T, Mühlemann B, Wölfel R, Antwerpen M, Walter M, Protzer U, Liebl B, Haas W et al. (2020): Investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak in Germany resulting from a single travel-associated primary case: a case series.
    Lancet Infect. Dis. 20 (8): 920-928. Epub May 15. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30314-5. more

  • Götsch U, Göbels K, Ippisch S, Dirksen-Fischer M, Boldt M, Ehlers L, an der Heiden M, Schöll M, Rexroth U et al. (2020): Hinweise für COVID-19-Prozesse im Flugverkehr.
    Epid Bull (29): 12–13. doi: 10.25646/6996 (online vorab am 9.7.2020). more

  • Rexroth U, Hamouda O, Hanefeld J, Ruehe B, Wieler LH, Schaade L (2020): Letter to the editor: Wide indication for SARS-CoV-2-testing allowed identification of international risk areas during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.
    Euro Surveill. 25 (23): pii=2001119. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2001119. more