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Regional Activities
To date, the Foundation’s work in building disease surveillance networks has focused on the Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance Network (MBDS). Systems have been strengthened in the six MBDS countries (Cambodia, China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) and to create an even playing field for regional collaboration. These connections and networks were critical to the response to SARS in 2003 and are now catalyzing pandemic preparedness in the participating countries.
The MBDS network has improved surveillance and response through optimizing workforce capacity and deployment and the sharing of information and analysis. Over the next three years, the Network is expected to be formally institutionalized. Specifically, this involves creating a legal, regional entity that would enable its sustainable governance, allow both flexible and lean central support, and provide an institutional basis for other donor investments.
We expect to support the following areas of activity over the next four years to build effective regional disease surveillance networks in key developing countries, particularly in the Mekong region and in parts of Africa.
- HR development and training in epidemiology through programs within the national surveillance systems
- Cross-border collaboration: establishment of cross-border teams for rapid and regular reporting of outbreak information at cross-border disease surveillance sites and the conducting of joint outbreak investigations
- Risk communication training and development of models in public dissemination of outbreak information, and response interventions
- Applied policy research to optimize human resources and deployment
- Enhancement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and capacity for more rapid, efficient and coordinated surveillance and response
- Bridging animal health, human health and ecosystem health (“One Health”) and establishing early warning systems through veterinary-public health training, community-based participatory surveillance, and better business models for backyard livestock farmers.