Guidance for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Staff for the Establishment and Management of Public Health Rapid Response Team Programs: Version 2

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hoffman, Adela ; Shamout, Mays ; Beaver, Jennifer L. ; Greiner, Ashley L.
• Corporate Authors:
  Center for Global Health (U.S.). Division of Global Health Protection. Emergency Response and Recovery Branch
• Description:
  Executive Summary: Under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), all countries must maintain core capacities to detect, assess, notify, and respond rapidly to public health emergencies. Public Health Rapid Response Teams (RRTs)-multidisciplinary teams trained and equipped to deploy quickly-are essential to meeting these obligations and controlling outbreaks before they escalate. Their importance has been recognized in various IHR tools and global health security frameworks. ; Despite their critical role, many RRT programs are hindered by persistent challenges, including unclear mandates, inconsistent procedures, inadequate rostering, and fragmented coordination. These limitations lead to delayed mobilization, undermining both national and global health security. Evidence shows that countries with structured, well-managed RRT programs can deploy responders efficiently, whereas ad hoc approaches often result in critical delays. ; To address these gaps, this document provides guidance for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff supporting the establishment and strengthening of RRT programs at the local, subnational, national, regional and global levels. In the absence of a single, comprehensive, and globally endorsed standard for RRT program management, this guidance consolidates best practices and lessons learned from the agency's extensive field experience to ensure a consistent and evidence-informed approach. ; Purpose of this Guidance: This updated guidance builds upon the 2020 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on RRT establishment and management.2 It offers evidence-based recommendations and best practices to help countries/organizations transition from a reactive, ad hoc response model to a systematic and sustainable RRT capability. It serves two primary functions: 1. For RRT programs in development, it provides a step-by-step framework for establishing a new RRT. 2. For established RRT programs, it offers strategies to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability. ; By providing key recommendations and tools, this guidance aims to enable countries to build a resilient and measurable defense against ongoing and future health threats. ; Version 2.0 Updates: This second version of the guidance was developed by synthesizing the best available operational evidence since 2020 through a multi-faceted approach. This included a literature review and an environmental scan of peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify the latest evidence-based standards in rapid response workforce development. Additionally, the guidance incorporated findings from operational research conducted or supported by CDC to build an evidence base for RRT best practices. Finally, these findings were supplemented by synthesizing lessons learned from case studies of CDC's direct technical support to over 30 countries and organizations, which provided critical insights into common operational challenges and successful implementation strategies. ; Drawing on this evidence, Version 2.0 has been enhanced to provide a comprehensive operational toolkit with key updates focused on strengthening the foundational elements of a successful RRT program: ; * Governance and Structure: Mandates and Authority: Clarifies the legal and organizational frameworks necessary for RRT establishment. Foundational Elements: Defines the core components of the wider emergency system that support effective RRT operations. ; * Operations and Performance: Activation Protocols: Outlines systematic processes for rapid, efficient mobilization. Monitoring and Evaluation: Establishes frameworks for performance tracking and continuous improvement, aligned Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and State Parties Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) indicators. ; * Sustainability and Readiness: Attrition Management: Addresses strategies for managing turnover and sustaining roster readiness. Training Advances: Incorporates updated curricula and competency frameworks for responder development. ; The guidance also includes a suite of tools, templates, and integration strategies to support implementation and alignment with IHR, emergency response plans and other relevant plans such as National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS).
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• Subjects:
  • Disaster Planning
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Global Health
  • Pandemic Preparedness
  • Pandemics
  • Public Health Practice
  • Ebolavirus
• Keywords:
  • Public Health Rapid Response Teams
  • After Action Review (AAR)
  • Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
  • Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA)
  • International Health Regulations (IHR)
  • Incident Management System (IMS)
  • Joint External Evaluation (JEE)
  • Rapid Response Team (RRT)
  • Short Message Service (SMS)
  • Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/255040
• Document Type:
  Text
• Corporate as Subject:
  Global Health Security Agenda ; International Health Regulations (IHR 2005)
• Genre:
  Guidance
• Place as Subject:
  Africa ; Asia ; Australia ; Europe ; North America ; South America
• Rights:
  Public Domain
• CIO:
  Center for Global Health (CGH)
• Division:
  DGHP - Division of Global Health Protection
• Topic:
  Emergency Preparedness ; Global Health
• Location:
  Africa ; Asia ; Caribbean ; Central America ; Europe ; North America ; Oceania ; South America
• Pages in Document:
  96 pdf pages
• Citation:
  Suggested citation: Hoffman A, Shamout M, Beaver J, Greiner AL. Guidance for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Staff for the Establishment and Management of Public Health Rapid Response Team Programs. Version 2. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2026. https://www.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/255040
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/255040/cdc_255040_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.41 MB]
• Collection(s):
  Guidelines and Recommendations
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:07bd954a9e985d72d819027d374553f1e02a5b489fe1f95346cfaed155259fad7a24d084e4b5bf23428dcef3e946fd93fe2aec36d793b12b39656c6c24c1f615