A new digital solution was tested for the first time by participants in a 4-day training in Istanbul. The virtual reality tool will contribute to further improvement of public health capacities at ports and on ships.
The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on the maritime sector, proving the vital importance of maintaining public health capacity at ports and on ships. Due to international travel restrictions, including port closures, access to ports that inspected ships and issued ship sanitation certificates was severely limited. As ports have resumed their activities, the need for trained port health officers has been identified as a priority for the many countries that have lost this capacity, either through attrition or inspection inactivity.
To meet this need, on 27–30 November, WHO/Europe organized a comprehensive 4-day training in Istanbul, Türkiye, for a group of 13 professionals from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, representing port health officers and national International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) focal points.
As part of this training, participants tested a new virtual reality (VR) tool developed by WHO and presented for the very first time. When the VR tool is fully launched, it will elevate the standards of training in the field of ship sanitation inspection. The tool will benefit the over 230 ports in the WHO European Region that have the public health capacities to manage public health events and the 41 IHR State Parties with authorized ports to issue ship sanitation certificates. It will also contribute to further improvement of public health capacities at ports and on ships, which are at the forefront of prevention, detection and response to public health events arising from international travel and trade via sea.
Immersive VR solution redefines possibilities
The project allows users to interact and familiarize themselves with realistic representations of technical areas of the ship to ensure thorough sanitation inspections. During these inspections, port health officers can identify and record all evidence of contamination or infection and other risks to human health in different areas, facilities or systems in the ship, together with any required control measures that must be applied to control public health risks on ships and potential spread via ports.
The VR simulations provide the trainees with a life-like experience. With the help of special headsets and hand controllers, they can walk through a VR vessel, which offers the added benefit of being able to train port inspectors and other professionals working at ports remotely. The simulation helps them to learn how to conduct a comprehensive end-to-end sanitation inspection of the entire ship, including how to undertake risk assessment work, and how to interact with the captain and crew.
The trainees familiarize themselves with the essential steps to be taken before commencing inspections and learn about the necessary follow-up actions through interactive animations. The VR experience allows the users to inspect every area of the ship, from engine rooms to cabins, dining areas and locker rooms. This virtual journey through the ship's corridors and decks, offering over 20 meticulously recreated visiting areas, allows trainees to feel fully present.
“The virtual tour starts at the office of the inspector, where we can select the personal protective equipment to take with us on the inspection, and then we go on board where we meet the captain. Then we walk through the various areas onboard the ship, from the “clean” to the “dirty” areas – for example, starting at the ship’s hospital and then going to the engine room and the cargo holds. At the end, we have a debrief with the captain and cover the findings,” explains Kevin Carlisle, Technical Lead of the project at WHO/Europe.
An array of training tools
The 4-day training in Istanbul was part of a series of capacity-building activities at airports, ports and ground crossings supported by WHO/Europe to improve border health in the Region. It was organized with support from authorities at the General Directorate of Health for Borders and Coasts of Türkiye who hosted the training and facilitated access to all training facilities, including a cruise ship at the Galataport, Istanbul. The programme combined VR simulations, learning activities, and site visits to ships and ports. These complementary activities also provided an important opportunity for participants to share their experiences between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and with colleagues from the General Directorate of Health for Borders and Coasts of Türkiye.
Nurtugan Yerubayev, Head of the Department for Coordination of Sanitary Protection Activities at the State Border of the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who also attended previous capacity-building activities for Points of Entry (PoE), said, “We were very impressed by the organization of the work in the seaports of Istanbul, starting from the passenger’s terminal, as well as the provision of services for arriving ships as a single window approach, digital solutions for monitoring the movement and condition of ships, telemedicine for ships, and much more. Our specialists received practical and very necessary knowledge on carrying out sanitary inspection of ships and issuing sanitary certificates."
Huseyn Gasimov, Chief inspector of Sanitary-quarantine service of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, stated, “The virtual reality equipment was a completely new discovery for us, and I see great potential in the further use of VR systems in trainings. Due to this training, I have gained a lot of new knowledge and practical experience, as well as new friends and colleagues from different countries. I hope for further cooperation in the very important field of preventive medicine and preventing the spread of especially dangerous diseases.”
This comprehensive training will support and advocate strengthening of the IHR (2005) implementation and response mechanisms at PoE for countries in central Asia and the south Caucasus.
The activity was organized by the Country Health Emergency Preparedness and International Health Regulations programme at WHO/Europe. The VR training solution was designed by the Learning Solutions and Training (LST) unit at the WHO Lyon Office in France, with technical guidance from the Border Health and Mass Gathering (BHMG) Unit at WHO headquarters in Geneva.