MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 6, 2012) – The United States and the Philippines will launch a Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Disaster Exercise next Monday in Manila aimed at strengthening preparedness for severe pandemic disasters and other hazards through simulations and training that facilitates collaboration between civil society, the private sector and government.

U.S. Embassy officials, in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner, said the exercise, implemented by the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, will include participation by representatives of the local Office of Civil Defense, the United States Marine Forces Pacific and a US-based non-governmental organization called International Medical Corps.

It said the exercise is also supported by the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Maryland.

The Embassy said the U.S. Agency for International Development is working to strengthen countries in the Southeast Asian region through a “whole-of-society” approach to pandemic disaster preparedness.

As the lead agency for the PREPARE project, a coalition funded by USAID, the International Medical Corps works to strengthen the capacity of the least resourced countries in Africa and Asia for multi-sector disaster management and pandemic preparedness planning.

PREPARE aims to promote the integration of pandemic preparedness into wider disaster management and preparedness initiatives.