Strategy to deal with avian flu

Star: Malaysia has outlined a four-point strategy that Asean countries and its partners, including Japan, China and South Korea, have been working on to strengthen national and regional capacities to deal with emerging and re-emerging infections like the avian influenza that is threatening the region.

The four components are:
·Institutional strengthening focusing on improving capacity of Asean and coordinating and managing effective implementation of an Emerging Infectious Disease programme;

·Regional networking that will focus on improving the Asean Disease Surveillance.net (ADS.net) and meeting needs of member countries in emerging infectious disease surveillance, preparedness and response;

·Laboratory diagnosis, surveillance, and response will focus on improving capacity of national and regional laboratories in routine diagnostics, laboratory-based surveillance, preparedness and rapid response; and

·Epidemiological surveillance and response focusing on improving national and regional capacity, early warning of outbreaks and timely response to emerging infections.

Malaysia said that so far there had been an impressive number of relatively sustainable benefits within a short period of time that was made possible by the strong commitment of member countries.
“A strong foundation has been established for a sustainable regional network with the support and cooperation of the World Health Organisation (WHO),” Malaysia said in a statement at the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza senior officials meeting in Washington on Friday.
Malaysia was one of about 80 countries that were in Washington to discuss the recent outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in poultry and birds in several Asean countries that had triggered a global alert.
The statement said the Regional Networking coordinated by Indonesia achieved impressive progress that included the development of the Asean Disease Surveillance.net.
This reduces sensitivities in providing information to the site, provides ability to identify levels of participation and information gaps, and commitment to establish Asean desks in the ministries of health.
Malaysia, which coordinated Laboratories Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response, was able to establish strong foundations for networking, assessing and building laboratory capacities and coordinating with WHO.