November 2, 2009, Los Angeles, Calif. - International Medical Corps is pleased to announce its participation in a three-year, $6.65 million contract awarded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Global Health to strengthen the human capacity of countries to identify and respond to outbreaks of pandemic diseases in a timely and sustainable manner. International Medical Corps leads a distinguished team including Global Deterrence Alternatives (GDA), TriMed Inc., MedPrep Consulting, and World Learning.

The project, called PREPARE, is part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats Program - a specialized set of projects that build on the successes of the Agency's 30 years of work in disease surveillance, training and outbreak response. The other projects in this USAID Program are PREDICT, IDENTIFY, RESPOND, and PREVENT.

PREPARE will focus on the provision of technical support for simulations and field tests of national, regional and local pandemic preparedness plans to ensure that countries have the capacity to implement response plans effectively during pandemic events. This agreement adds to USAID's experience in the planning, design and implementation of tabletop and field drill simulations to enhance the preparedness of countries and regions against Avian and Pandemic Influenza.

PREPARE will employ a unique eight-step approach, combined with best practices and lessons-learned, to deliver training, simulation exercises, and evidence-based decision support. Its goal is to create capacities based on continuous refinement and enable countries and regions to reach higher levels of public health preparedness against infectious diseases with pandemic potential.

"International Medical Corps' 25-year track record of response to large-scale emergencies in resource-challenged environments worldwide places us in a unique position to lead this kind of innovative initiative," said Stephen Tomlin, Vice President of Program, Policy and Planning. "Staging pandemic simulation exercises that incorporate all sectors of society will enable us to create strengths upon which communities, counterparts and collaborating government ministries can offset the impact of pandemics through effective emergency management, and to take control of their own destinies by working together."

International Medical Corps and its partners are well aware of the global health challenge presented by the spread of emerging infectious diseases and the potentially catastrophic direct and indirect human and economic consequences they bring. International Medical Corps has a long history in more than 50 countries around the world, responding to emergencies affecting large populations. In creating this PREPARE Simulation and Exercise Team, International Medical Corps complements its broad experience in international public health and emergency management with partners whose track records reflect state-of-the-art exercise development practices and tools for evidence-based decision support and strong experience in setting up field training exercises worldwide. The resulting PREPARE Team's organizational capability provides USAID with a cycle of continuous refinement for "whole-of-society" approaches to pandemic preparedness at country, regional and international levels that is inclusive of U.S. government partners and U.N. agencies, civil society, host country governments, and international organizations and NGOs.

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. For more information visit our website at www.imcworldwide.org.

Contact: Stephanie Bowen Communications Manager (310) 826-7800 sbowen@imcworldwide.org

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