The Evolution and Expansion of Regional Disease Surveillance Networks and Their Role in Mitigating the Threat of Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Figures & data

Fig. 1 A social network graph illustrating the connections among countries and regional networks in CORDS (CORDS=Connecting Organizations for Regional Disease Surveillance; MBDS=Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance network; EAIDSNet=East Africa Integrated Disease Surveillance Network; SEEHN=Southeastern European (SEE) Health Network; MECIDS=Middle East Consortium for Infectious Disease Surveillance; APEIR=Asia Partnership on Emerging Infectious Diseases Research; SACIDS=Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance). Source: Katherine C. Bond.

Table 1. A summary of activities undertaken by networks in CORDS

ractitioner-driven networks	Countries Involved	Diseases Monitored through Regular Cross-Border Reporting	Illustrative Joint Response of Regional Significance & Sectors involved	andemic Preparedness Exercises Undertaken	Work at the Animal-Human Health Interface	Financing
MBDS (1999)	Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam	Acute flaccid paralysis, SARS, cholera, H5N1, dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever, typhoid fever, measles, malaria, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis	SARS, H5N1, cholera Cross-border response teams comprised of health, customs, immigration, and border officials	Six national tabletop simulation exercises; one regional exercise; multiple provincial and cross-border exercises	Core component of strategic plan; field epidemiology training for veterinarians; border investigations involving human and veterinarian sectors	RF, NTI,Google.org,
EAIDSNET (2000)	Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda	Acute haemorrhagic fevers, Cholera, Yellow fever, Measles, Plague, Poliomyelits, Bloody diarrhea Cerebro-spinal meningitis, Neonatal tetanus, Rabies, Malaria, Typhoid fever, Diarrhea in <5 years	Cholera, ebola, marburg, wild polio virus. Cross-border response teams with veterinary, human health, security, biosecurity and communication	Regional tabletop simulation exercise; national-level desk top exercises; cross-border field simulation (Kenya-Uganda border)	Component of transboundary integrated disease surveillance efforts; veterinarian sector participates	RF, European Union, EAC
SEEHN (Southeastern European Health network) (2001)	Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	Influenza, brucellosis, measles, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, West Nile Fever, salmonella; vaccine preventable diseases	Works with experts from WHO, European CDC, UK Department of Health. Involvement of health and other sectors (veterinary, customs, ecology, wildlife, etc)	Joint preparation of influenza pandemic preparedness plans at both national and regional levels; introduction of molecular techniques into influenza surveillance laboratories region-wide. Regional table top pandemic preparedness exercise	Broader investigation of Brucellosis and pandemic preparedness with involvement of veterinary sector.	SEE countries governments Greek government French government Belgian government
MECIDS (2003)	Kingdom of Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority	Salmonella, shigella, H5N1, leishmaniasis	Foodborne disease, H5N1, H1N1 Ministries of human and animal health and agriculture	Tabletop simulation and semi-functional drills; trainings, data sharing	Training and exercises conducted across sectors for identification and response	NTI; World Bank
Research-driven networks	Countries Involved	Types of Research	Sectors Involved	andemic PreparednessExercises	Animal-Human Health Interface	Financing
APEIR (2006)	Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam	Knowledge generation, policy research, research capacity building, on avian influenza and infectious diseases	Research partnerships with Agriculture, Health, Education, Sciences	n/a	Multi-country research partnerships; Eco-health concepts; e.g., Surveillance and Monitoring of Avian Influenza in Migratory Birds; Policy impact assessments of poultry vaccination	IDRC, Health Systems Research Institute (coordinating office)
SACIDS (2008)	Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia	Research using geo-spatial analyses, resource mapping and preparedness analyses, research on specific diseases, applications of mobile technology	Research partnerships with human, livestock and wildlife health	n/a	Climate dependent vector-borne diseases; diseases with potential inter-species concern; disease of economic and food security importance; bacterial rare diseases; dangerous emerging diseases	RF, Google.org, NTI, Wellcome Trust