Identifying events
In addition to directly receiving information from Member States, the Detection, Verification and Risk Assessment (DVA) team continuously screens informal or unofficial information sources to detect events or situations that may threaten international public health and for which Member States may require assistance. The DVA team gathers official reports and identifies rumors of suspected public health events from a wide range of sources.
Initial screening of information
Information obtained from unofficial or informal sources undergoes an initial screening, referred to as the initial risk assessment. A risk assessment is not considered complete until the event is verified by the Member State.
Verifying information
After the initial detection of an event is made from informal or extraofficial sources DVA verifies the information with the Member State. Requests for verification are sent to the National IHR Focal Point (NFP) of the respective Member State.