influenza and other respiratory viruses – SARINET https://sarinet.org Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:25:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://sarinet.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/cropped-Logo_SARInet-32x32.png influenza and other respiratory viruses – SARINET https://sarinet.org 32 32 Call to action to establish the Intersectoral Commission for the Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Influenza in the Americas https://sarinet.org/2024/03/27/call-to-action-to-establish-the-intersectoral-commission-for-the-prevention-and-control-of-zoonotic-influenza-in-the-americas/ https://sarinet.org/2024/03/27/call-to-action-to-establish-the-intersectoral-commission-for-the-prevention-and-control-of-zoonotic-influenza-in-the-americas/#respond Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:25:14 +0000 https://sarinet.org/?p=6252 To effectively manage the escalating threat of Avian Influenza (AI) in the Americas, it is crucial to establish an Intersectoral Commission for guiding decisive actions on prevention, surveillance, preparedness, response, and control. This Call to Action stems from the profound human and economic toll of past pandemics and the expanding occurrence of AI in terms of both affected geographical areas, including ecosystems, and animal species in this Region. Strengthening prevention and control capacities are crucial tasks that require collaborative efforts by public and private stakeholders along the human-animal-environmental interface.

The Call to action is for national authorities and the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB) to establish the Intersectoral Commission for the Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Influenza in the Americas. The support of all relevant stakeholders, including international organizations and subregional mechanisms, is critical to this aim. Under this Call, the PASB shall continue to serve as the convening entity of the Intersectoral Commission.

The Intersectoral Commission aims to foster One Health (OH) at country level, bringing together diverse perspectives and interests to ensure sustainable national and regional early detection, response and control for AI and other zoonotic influenza. PASB shall produce a draft statute of the Intersectoral Commission based on the inputs of the Regional Meeting on the Intersectoral Commission for the Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza (and other Zoonotic Influenza) in the Americas held on 12–14 March 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The draft statute shall be shared with Member States and other relevant stakeholders, including international organizations and subregional mechanisms. All participants of this meeting are urged to facilitate a participative in-country revision of the draft statute of the Intersectoral Commission. In due course, PASB shall submit the proposed statute of the Intersectoral Commission to its Governing Bodies. By working collaboratively within this framework and in the spirit of achieving the establishment and operationalization of the Intersectoral Commission, Member States and all relevant stakeholders will contribute to a successful outcome on the health and food security in the Americas and beyond.

This Call to action is in response to the PASB regional OH policy, which calls for Member States to implement OH strategies/actions and for the PASB to provide technical cooperation. Furthermore, the request to establish the Intersectoral Commission, including hosting its technical and administrative secretariat, respond to appeals to the PASB from different animal health mechanisms and organizations. These includes the Permanent Veterinary Committee of the Southern Cone (CVP), the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (SGCAN), and the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA).

The Southern Agricultural Council (CAS) comprised by the Ministers of Agriculture of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay has also endorsed this initiative. Additionally, the creation of this commission was also recommended during the Regional Consultation for Strengthening Intersectoral Work at the Human-Animal Interface of Avian Influenza, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14-16 March 2023.

Credits and thanks to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Related news
Regional Meeting on an Intersectoral Commission for the Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza (and other Zoonotic Influenza) in the Americas

]]> https://sarinet.org/2024/03/27/call-to-action-to-establish-the-intersectoral-commission-for-the-prevention-and-control-of-zoonotic-influenza-in-the-americas/feed/ 0 PAHO and countries of the Americas seek to establish an intersectoral commission to prevent and control avian influenza https://sarinet.org/2024/02/14/paho-and-countries-of-the-americas-seek-to-establish-an-intersectoral-commission-to-prevent-and-control-avian-influenza/ https://sarinet.org/2024/02/14/paho-and-countries-of-the-americas-seek-to-establish-an-intersectoral-commission-to-prevent-and-control-avian-influenza/#respond Wed, 14 Feb 2024 21:10:56 +0000 https://sarinet.org/?p=6248 Río de Janeiro, Brazil, 14 March 2024 – In order to strengthen surveillance, prevention and control of avian influenza in both animals and humans, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) convened its 35 member states in Brazil this week to establish a regional commission to combat the disease. The meeting took place at a time when the world is experiencing high levels of transmission of the virus among birds and mammals, which poses a potential risk to public health.

Participants agreed on the need to create an intersectoral commission to strengthen detection, prevention and response to zoonotic influenza. “It is essential to promote this commission under the “One Health” approach to comprehensively address zoonoses,” said Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, Director of PAHO’s Department of Prevention, Control and Elimination of Communicable Diseases.

The Inter-sectoral Commission for the Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza in the Americas will enable public, animal and environmental health sectors to exchange updated information on surveillance, epidemiological risk and evolution of circulating viruses. The commission is also expected to promote strategies at the national, sub-regional and regional levels and strengthen coordination.

PAHO’s Health Emergency Department and the Pan American Center for Foot and Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA) led the March 12-14 meeting to discuss the Commission’s objectives, structure and operation.

“One Health” is an approach that fosters intersectoral collaboration to prevent zoonotic and vector-borne diseases by mobilizing diverse stakeholders such as veterinarians, physicians, epidemiologists and community leaders.

It is estimated that 75% of emerging human infectious diseases originate in animals. Since 2020, a variant of avian influenza virus subtype A(H5N1) has caused deaths in wild birds and poultry in multiple countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and, in 2022, spread to Central and South America.

In January 2023, the first case of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) was reported in Latin America, and since then, several countries in the region have confirmed cases in both birds and humans. So far, human cases of avian influenza have been sporadic, and no sustained human-to-human transmission has been identified.

“It is crucial that countries continue to strengthen early detection and containment of any event or outbreak at the human-animal interface,” Dr. Ciro Ugarte, Director of PAHO’s Department of Health Emergencies, said. “The various sectors involved must collaborate on both surveillance and response.”

The new Commission will comprise specialists in the areas of seasonal influenza, zoonosis, pandemics, epidemiology and laboratory from ministries of health in the Americas. It will also include veterinary officials, representatives of the environmental sector, and collaborating centers, with PAHO acting as secretariat.

According to Ottorino Cosivi, Director of PANAFTOSA, the Commission “will act as a catalyst for regional work to address avian influenza.” Cosivi highlighted the effectiveness of other regional mechanisms coordinated by PAHO, such as REDIPRA, which facilitates intersectoral collaboration in the fight against rabies in the Americas and has contributed significantly towards the elimination of this disease in the region.

Also participating in the meeting this week were representatives of several organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA), the Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET), the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (SE-COMISCA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and WHO collaborating centers for human and animal influenza.

Credits and thanks to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

]]> https://sarinet.org/2024/02/14/paho-and-countries-of-the-americas-seek-to-establish-an-intersectoral-commission-to-prevent-and-control-avian-influenza/feed/ 0 Reunión de Coordinación Regional del PIP destaca avances en Preparación contra futuras pandemias de Influenza en Las Américas https://sarinet.org/2023/11/15/reunion-de-coordinacion-regional-del-pip-destaca-avances-en-preparacion-contra-futuras-pandemias-de-influenza-en-las-americas/ https://sarinet.org/2023/11/15/reunion-de-coordinacion-regional-del-pip-destaca-avances-en-preparacion-contra-futuras-pandemias-de-influenza-en-las-americas/#respond Wed, 15 Nov 2023 20:55:39 +0000 https://sarinet.org/?p=6222 Washington, D.C., 15 de noviembre de 2023 — Del 6 al 7 de noviembre de 2023, la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS), con el apoyo de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), llevó a cabo la Reunión Regional del Marco de Preparación contra Influenza Pandémica de la OMS (PIP, por sus siglas en inglés). Este encuentro tuvo lugar en la sede la OPS en Washington, D.C., Estados Unidos, con el objetivo de analizar los avances en el plan de implementación de alto nivel III del marco de preparación para una pandemia de gripe y definir la hoja de ruta para la implementación de este plan en las Américas.

El Marco PIP reúne a Estados Miembros , la industria, otras partes interesadas y a la OMS y a la OPS para aplicar un enfoque mundial a la preparación y respuesta ante una pandemia de gripe. Este marco busca mejorar y reforzar el intercambio de virus gripales con potencial pandémico; y aumentar el acceso de los países en desarrollo a las vacunas y otros suministros para dar respuesta ante una posible pandemia.

El encuentro permitió un foro multidisciplinario en el que representantes de las autoridades de salud de Belice, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Haití, República Dominicana, Surinam, Paraguay y El Salvador se reunieron para revisar y mejorar las estrategias de preparación para influenza pandémica en los componentes de preparación, carga de la enfermedad, vigilancia epidemiológica y de laboratorio, comunicación de riesgo y trabajo con la comunidad, así como en despliegue de vacuna y marcos regulatorios. También, participaron expertos de la Unidad de Gestión de Amenazas Infecciosas y del equipo de comunicación del Departamento de Emergencias en Salud, del Programa Especial de Inmunización Integral (CIM) y de la Unidad de Calidad y Regulación de Medicamentos y Tecnologías Sanitarias del Departamento de Innovación, Acceso a Medicamentos y Tecnologías Sanitarias de la OPS.

El Marco PIP incluye un componente de Contribución de Partenariado el cual financia procesos para el fortalecimiento de las capacidades de los países en acciones de preparación y respuesta a pandemias de influenza. En este sentido, uno de los principales ejes de la reunión fue la revisión de los planes de trabajo para el período 2024-2025 para garantizar que las iniciativas en curso en este marco de trabajo se fortalezcan a mediano y largo plazo.

El fortalecimiento de los marcos regulatorios y las capacidades de despliegue de vacunas, que son esenciales para una respuesta pandémica ágil, fueron un tema clave discutido durante el encuentro. Además, se destacó la relevancia de la integración de vigilancia y laboratorio, componentes cruciales para detectar tempranamente y fortalecer la respuesta rápida a futuras amenazas con impacto a la salud pública.

Paralelamente, la reunión sobre el Marco Regulatorio se enfocó en perfeccionar los protocolos de importación y aprobación de vacunas utilizadas en situaciones de emergencia. Además, se llevó a cabo un encuentro especializado para los laboratorios, con el objetivo de reforzar sus capacidades de detección y reacción frente a nuevos subtipos de influenza a nivel país, regional y global. Por último, la sesión dedicada a la Comunicación de Riesgos y Participación Comunitaria subrayó el papel vital que juega la comunicación clara y efectiva en la gestión de emergencias de salud pública.

Este encuentro reafirma el compromiso de la OPS y de la OMS de fomentar la cooperación internacional y la creación de estrategias sólidas para preparar y responder a posibles pandemias causadas por influenza. La OPS espera que los acuerdos y discusiones de la reunión impulsen una mejor preparación global y una protección más sólida de la salud de las poblaciones en la región de las Américas.

Credits and thanks to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

]]> https://sarinet.org/2023/11/15/reunion-de-coordinacion-regional-del-pip-destaca-avances-en-preparacion-contra-futuras-pandemias-de-influenza-en-las-americas/feed/ 0 Countries in the Americas Analyze how to Strengthen their Preparedness, Response, and Resilience to Future Health Emergencies https://sarinet.org/2023/10/26/countries-in-the-americas-analyze-how-to-strengthen-their-preparedness-response-and-resilience-to-future-health-emergencies/ https://sarinet.org/2023/10/26/countries-in-the-americas-analyze-how-to-strengthen-their-preparedness-response-and-resilience-to-future-health-emergencies/#respond Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:06:18 +0000 https://sarinet.org/?p=6225 Bogotá, Colombia, October 26, 2023 (PAHO/WHO). Public health authorities from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Saint Lucia participated in the regional workshop on Preparedness and Resilience against Emerging Threats (PRET), held in Bogotá from October 10 to 12 and organized by the Health Emergencies Department of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

The WHO PRET initiative aims to provide comprehensive guidance to countries to strengthen health emergency preparedness, response coordination, sustainable financing, and other countries’ core capacities for responding to future public health events. During the workshop in Bogotá, the first module of PRET, dedicated to threats posed by respiratory pathogens, was analyzed. The meeting also had technical participation from representatives from the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States of America (CDC).

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided crucial lessons and presented pressing challenges that require a coordinated, integrated, and multisectoral response. “That is why it is imperative to act swiftly to address them before new diseases caused by respiratory pathogens emerge,” said Gina Tambini, the PAHO/WHO representative in Colombia.

A diverse group of public health professionals from the six invited countries identified the challenges and needs for effective planning and response to pandemics caused by respiratory pathogens. “During the sessions, multisectoral and multilevel coordination was also encouraged for the development of strategies for pandemic preparedness and response, and a regional roadmap was developed to facilitate the updating and development of plans for respiratory pathogens pandemics preparedness and response,” noted Andrea Villalobos, International PAHO Consultant for Health Emergencies.

The Five Components
The workshop addressed five essential components of PRET Module 1: Emergency Coordination, Collaborative Surveillance, Community Protection, Clinical Care, and Access to Medical Countermeasures.

Mauricio Cerpa, Health Emergencies Advisor at PAHO Colombia, emphasized multisectoral collaboration and continuous strengthening of preparedness to address future epidemics and pandemics caused by respiratory pathogens. He also emphasized the importance of resource sustainability for preparedness, a responsibility shared by all sectors, beyond public health. “These plans must be aligned with national policies and budget cycles to expand the union’s capacity and improve emergency response.”

The interdisciplinary representation of the countries allowed the development of a roadmap in the Americas. Working with a multisectoral focus in preparedness and planning strengthens the core capacities to respond to potential public health emergencies caused by respiratory pathogens. Furthermore, each country must ensure that health is a priority on the national political agenda and that planning is included in national government coordination bodies.

Credits and thanks to the Pan American Health Orgatization (PAHO)

]]> https://sarinet.org/2023/10/26/countries-in-the-americas-analyze-how-to-strengthen-their-preparedness-response-and-resilience-to-future-health-emergencies/feed/ 0 Strengthening Respiratory Virus Surveillance in the Caribbean Sub-region https://sarinet.org/2023/07/14/strengthening-respiratory-virus-surveillance-in-the-caribbean-sub-region/ https://sarinet.org/2023/07/14/strengthening-respiratory-virus-surveillance-in-the-caribbean-sub-region/#respond Fri, 14 Jul 2023 09:27:56 +0000 https://sarinet.org/?p=6131 A workshop organized by PAHO’s influenza and other respiratory viruses team was held in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos with the goal to address the integration of SARS-CoV-2 into routine surveillance systems for respiratory viruses in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean Islands. The workshop aimed to enhance the surveillance systems for respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and other respiratory pathogens, by aligning existing and planned surveillance strategies with the proposed Sub-Regional Integrated Respiratory Sentinel Surveillance Guidelines. With the participation of 24 epidemiology and laboratory professionals from nine countries and one territory, the workshop successfully achieved its objectives.During the workshop, participants were sensitized to global and regional respiratory surveillance strategies and introduced to the proposed Sub-regional Integrated Respiratory Sentinel Surveillance Guidelines. Validation of the guidelines was obtained, and country-specific needs for technical cooperation in respiratory virus surveillance were identified for the next 12 to 24 months.

Key outcomes of the workshop included the recognition of the importance of strengthening surveillance systems, optimizing syndromic surveillance at sentinel sites, and developing diagnostic capacity for multiplex testing. Collaboration between government, private sector, and non-governmental agencies was emphasized, along with the need for enhanced awareness and training among healthcare professionals and the general public. Resource and budgetary needs were acknowledged, with a focus on ensuring the availability of necessary supplies and affordable testing kits. The workshop also emphasized the importance of adapting to the changing landscape of respiratory surveillance and incorporating best practices through knowledge sharing and networking.

The workshop concluded with recommendations for enhancing surveillance systems, maintaining collaboration, increasing awareness and training, addressing resource and budgetary needs, adapting to the changing landscape, optimizing sentinel surveillance, improving reporting and information sharing, incorporating workshop outcomes into national guidelines, and improving information management. By implementing these recommendations, countries in the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands subregion will strengthen their surveillance capabilities, better respond to public health threats, and build resilient and adaptable capacities for routine respiratory virus surveillance.

]]> https://sarinet.org/2023/07/14/strengthening-respiratory-virus-surveillance-in-the-caribbean-sub-region/feed/ 0