Before March 2020, the Infectious Diseases Surveillance Center (IDSC) in NIID had covered a lot of public health functions such as epidemiological research, research on vaccine effects and adverse events, laboratory training, and infectious disease surveillance. However, confronting the risk of outbreaks during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Kansai-Osaka EXPO 2025, the IDSC’s areas of work were so diverse that it became difficult for a single center to play a sufficient role.

In this context, the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPR) was established in April 2020 with the laboratory and training sections separated from the IDSC and newly established offices for emergency responses. Subsequently, in response to the pandemic of COVID-19, CEPR’s crisis management function and human resource capacity was further strengthened. For example, functions on development and support on conducting drills and exercise, and laboratory emergency responses were reinforced.

The CEPR is responsible for the following activities.

1. Intelligence on infectious disease emergencies, training and exercises, scientific investigations and research, and provision of training and exercises regarding crisis management of infectious diseases.
2. Laboratory pathogen diagnosis and related scientific investigations and research (including reference functions) and provision of laboratory training.

The CEPR has eight offices, each of which has the following jurisdictions:

OFFICE OF PLANNING AND COORDINATION

Planning and coordination of research, training and emergency operations.

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY OPERATION

Investigation and research on crisis management of infectious diseases, and liaison and coordination with relevant government agencies.

OFFICE OF CRISIS COMMUNICATION

Risk and crisis communication on infectious diseases.

LABORATORY OF UNIDENTIFIED PATHOGEN INVESTIGATION

Laboratory diagnosis of an unidentified pathogen, reference services for pathogens not covered by other departments of NIID, and research and development on pathogen detection technologies.

OFFICE OF TRAINING AND EXERCISE SUPPORT

Support and program development for emergency response exercises and training.

OFFICE OF BACTERIOLOGY LAB TRAINING

Support for capacity development and standardization of laboratory techniques on bacterial pathogens for local public health laboratories.

OFFICE OF VIROLOGY LAB TRAINING

Support for capacity development and standardization of laboratory techniques on virological pathogens for local public health laboratories.

OFFICE OF LABORATORY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Support on lab diagnosis capacities for infectious disease emergencies and support to the local public health institutes.