Giuseppe
Emeritus
Fourth meeting of National Influenza Centres in the WHO Western Pacific Region ? May 2010 (WHO WER, extract, edited)
[Source: World Health Organization, Weekly Epidemiological Record, full PDF document (LINK). Extract, edited.]
Releve epidemiologique hebdomadaire, No 46, 12 novembre 2010
Weekly epidemiological record, No. 46, 12 november 2010
Fourth meeting of National Influenza Centres in the WHO Western Pacific Region ? May 2010
The fourth meeting of National Influenza Centres (NICs) in the WHO Western Pacific Region took place in Manila, the Philippines, in May 2010. The meeting was held in conjunction with the meeting of the Influenza Division of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with their partners in the western Pacific.
Background
The Global Influenza Surveillance Network, established in 1953, contributes to global public health by gathering and analysing information on the appearance of novel strains of influenza virus and reporting to WHO to enable a prompt and appropriate public health response.
The network also collates data on circulating influenza viruses; recommendations on the composition of seasonal influenza vaccines are made on the basis of these data. The network comprises 5 WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza and 130 NICs in 101 countries. In the Western Pacific Region there are 19 NICs in 14 countries and 2 collaborating centres, 1 in Australia and 1 in Japan.
Since 2007, annual NIC meetings in the Region have provided an opportunity for the influenza centres, officials from ministries of health, and WHO to exchange information, review progress and outline future priority activities. At the first meeting of the NICs in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia Regions, held in Melbourne, Australia, in May 2007, a biregional 4-year plan for strengthening national capacity for influenza surveillance was formulated. This was subsequently endorsed by the biregional technical advisory group as part of the Asia?Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases.(1)
The second joint meeting was held in Tokyo, Japan, in April 2008. During this meeting, new guidelines were introduced for comprehensive influenza surveillance and for conducting studies of the burden of influenza; additionally, database software was introduced to enable NICs to record details of samples, test results and storage.
The third joint meeting was hosted by China?s National Influenza Centre in Beijing in August 2009. The meeting reviewed the lessons learnt from the response to pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 virus and determined appropriate measures for mitigating the impact of thepandemic.
The 2010 meeting of NICs included only those in the Western Pacific Region. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences of the 2009 pandemic so that preparedness plans and contingency plans could be improved, and to assist countries which had not yet done so to develop their national plans.
The 2009 pandemic placed great strains on the laboratories responsible for testing and analysing data from influenza surveillance. Recommendations from meetings of NICs have emphasized the need for continual preparedness planning by governments and for contingency planning by laboratories.
In addition to the pandemic strain of influenza, influenza A(H5N1) continues to pose a threat for human health, and the possibility remains that reassortment of other influenza viruses could produce a new virus with pandemic potential. Because of the high population density and concentration of livestock with the capacity for transmitting influenza viruses with pandemic potential in the Region, it will continue to be a potential source of pandemic influenza viruses; consequently pandemic preparedness needs to be maintained.
Objectives
The objectives of the 2010 meeting were
(i) to review the progress made in and lessons learnt about planning for pandemics by ministries of health and contingency planning by NICs,
(ii) to assess the progress made and discuss the next steps to be taken in studies of the burden of influenza,
(iii) to provide updates on research into pandemic and seasonal influenza, and
(iv) to examine needs for training on the processes used to select and produce influenza vaccines, and the development of vaccine policy.
Participants
A total of 43 participants from 15 countries and areas attended the meeting: Australia, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Lao People?s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, and Viet Nam. Temporary advisers and observers also attended; they included representatives from: the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Australia, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Public Health Laboratory Centre in Hong Kong SAR; the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan; the Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention Centre in Singapore; and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
The WHO Secretariat included 12 representatives: from Headquarters, the Regional Office for the Western Pacific, and country offices including Cambodia, China, Lao People?s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, the Philippines and Viet Nam.
Summary of activities
Four plenary sessions were conducted. Topics discussed included regional and global updates on pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus and avian influenza, increases in laboratory and surveillance capacities, and experiences during the 2009 pandemic.
A poster session gave NICs the opportunity to present information on the development of their surveillance systems and the results of surveillance with a specific focus on pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.
A workshop was conducted on advances made in influenza vaccines and vaccination policy. Representatives from WHO collaborating centres also participated in a panel discussion on the role of collaborating centres and the ways in which they can support NICs. The discussion covered training (both on-site and off-site), workshops, advice on developing policies and procedures, and the provision of reagents, primers and kits.
Participants also visited the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine where the NIC for the Philippines is based.
On the final day of the meeting, findings from a number of serological studies were presented. These presentations illustrated the contribution of serological studies to predicting baseline immunity and informing vaccination policies, as well as to assessment of the proportion of the population infected. Current research on improving the reliability, cost and timeliness of virus detection and analysis was also outlined.
Participants from Member States were asked if they had reviewed their response to the 2009 pandemic. Participants from 14 out of the 15 countries and areas responded. Eight indicated that a review was either in progress or had been completed while the remaining 6 planned to conduct a review in the future.
Conclusions and recommendations
Participants agreed on the following recommendations.
(1) Since planning for a pandemic is a continual process, preparedness planning should continue even while a country or area is responding to a pandemic. Pandemics may persist for years. Developing and refining response plans during an evolving pandemic will facilitate the response to it. Reporting under the International Health Regulations (2005) should also continue.
(2) Collaboration within and between Member States should be encouraged ? for example, information and specimens should be exchanged between animal health and human health sectors.
(3) Member States are encouraged to review their response to the 2009 pandemic and the global lessons learnt in order to revise their national pandemic preparedness plans if necessary.
(4) NICs are encouraged to share recent specimens of representative and unusual influenza viruses in a timely manner to support virological surveillance and the development of vaccines. Building capacity for virus isolation should be encouraged.
(5) NICs should immediately share any influenza viruses that cannot be subtyped with WHO collaborating centres.
(6) NICs are encouraged to continue to enhance their national surveillance systems for influenza by strengthening the capacities of NICs and associated epidemiology programmes.
(1) Asia?Pacific strategy for emerging diseases. Manila, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2005 ((LINK), accessed 28 October, 2010).
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[Source: World Health Organization, Weekly Epidemiological Record, full PDF document (LINK). Extract, edited.]
Releve epidemiologique hebdomadaire, No 46, 12 novembre 2010
Weekly epidemiological record, No. 46, 12 november 2010
Fourth meeting of National Influenza Centres in the WHO Western Pacific Region ? May 2010
The fourth meeting of National Influenza Centres (NICs) in the WHO Western Pacific Region took place in Manila, the Philippines, in May 2010. The meeting was held in conjunction with the meeting of the Influenza Division of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with their partners in the western Pacific.
Background
The Global Influenza Surveillance Network, established in 1953, contributes to global public health by gathering and analysing information on the appearance of novel strains of influenza virus and reporting to WHO to enable a prompt and appropriate public health response.
The network also collates data on circulating influenza viruses; recommendations on the composition of seasonal influenza vaccines are made on the basis of these data. The network comprises 5 WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza and 130 NICs in 101 countries. In the Western Pacific Region there are 19 NICs in 14 countries and 2 collaborating centres, 1 in Australia and 1 in Japan.
Since 2007, annual NIC meetings in the Region have provided an opportunity for the influenza centres, officials from ministries of health, and WHO to exchange information, review progress and outline future priority activities. At the first meeting of the NICs in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia Regions, held in Melbourne, Australia, in May 2007, a biregional 4-year plan for strengthening national capacity for influenza surveillance was formulated. This was subsequently endorsed by the biregional technical advisory group as part of the Asia?Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases.(1)
The second joint meeting was held in Tokyo, Japan, in April 2008. During this meeting, new guidelines were introduced for comprehensive influenza surveillance and for conducting studies of the burden of influenza; additionally, database software was introduced to enable NICs to record details of samples, test results and storage.
The third joint meeting was hosted by China?s National Influenza Centre in Beijing in August 2009. The meeting reviewed the lessons learnt from the response to pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 virus and determined appropriate measures for mitigating the impact of thepandemic.
The 2010 meeting of NICs included only those in the Western Pacific Region. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences of the 2009 pandemic so that preparedness plans and contingency plans could be improved, and to assist countries which had not yet done so to develop their national plans.
The 2009 pandemic placed great strains on the laboratories responsible for testing and analysing data from influenza surveillance. Recommendations from meetings of NICs have emphasized the need for continual preparedness planning by governments and for contingency planning by laboratories.
In addition to the pandemic strain of influenza, influenza A(H5N1) continues to pose a threat for human health, and the possibility remains that reassortment of other influenza viruses could produce a new virus with pandemic potential. Because of the high population density and concentration of livestock with the capacity for transmitting influenza viruses with pandemic potential in the Region, it will continue to be a potential source of pandemic influenza viruses; consequently pandemic preparedness needs to be maintained.
Objectives
The objectives of the 2010 meeting were
(i) to review the progress made in and lessons learnt about planning for pandemics by ministries of health and contingency planning by NICs,
(ii) to assess the progress made and discuss the next steps to be taken in studies of the burden of influenza,
(iii) to provide updates on research into pandemic and seasonal influenza, and
(iv) to examine needs for training on the processes used to select and produce influenza vaccines, and the development of vaccine policy.
Participants
A total of 43 participants from 15 countries and areas attended the meeting: Australia, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Lao People?s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, and Viet Nam. Temporary advisers and observers also attended; they included representatives from: the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Australia, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Public Health Laboratory Centre in Hong Kong SAR; the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan; the Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention Centre in Singapore; and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
The WHO Secretariat included 12 representatives: from Headquarters, the Regional Office for the Western Pacific, and country offices including Cambodia, China, Lao People?s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, the Philippines and Viet Nam.
Summary of activities
Four plenary sessions were conducted. Topics discussed included regional and global updates on pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus and avian influenza, increases in laboratory and surveillance capacities, and experiences during the 2009 pandemic.
A poster session gave NICs the opportunity to present information on the development of their surveillance systems and the results of surveillance with a specific focus on pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.
A workshop was conducted on advances made in influenza vaccines and vaccination policy. Representatives from WHO collaborating centres also participated in a panel discussion on the role of collaborating centres and the ways in which they can support NICs. The discussion covered training (both on-site and off-site), workshops, advice on developing policies and procedures, and the provision of reagents, primers and kits.
Participants also visited the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine where the NIC for the Philippines is based.
On the final day of the meeting, findings from a number of serological studies were presented. These presentations illustrated the contribution of serological studies to predicting baseline immunity and informing vaccination policies, as well as to assessment of the proportion of the population infected. Current research on improving the reliability, cost and timeliness of virus detection and analysis was also outlined.
Participants from Member States were asked if they had reviewed their response to the 2009 pandemic. Participants from 14 out of the 15 countries and areas responded. Eight indicated that a review was either in progress or had been completed while the remaining 6 planned to conduct a review in the future.
Conclusions and recommendations
Participants agreed on the following recommendations.
(1) Since planning for a pandemic is a continual process, preparedness planning should continue even while a country or area is responding to a pandemic. Pandemics may persist for years. Developing and refining response plans during an evolving pandemic will facilitate the response to it. Reporting under the International Health Regulations (2005) should also continue.
(2) Collaboration within and between Member States should be encouraged ? for example, information and specimens should be exchanged between animal health and human health sectors.
(3) Member States are encouraged to review their response to the 2009 pandemic and the global lessons learnt in order to revise their national pandemic preparedness plans if necessary.
(4) NICs are encouraged to share recent specimens of representative and unusual influenza viruses in a timely manner to support virological surveillance and the development of vaccines. Building capacity for virus isolation should be encouraged.
(5) NICs should immediately share any influenza viruses that cannot be subtyped with WHO collaborating centres.
(6) NICs are encouraged to continue to enhance their national surveillance systems for influenza by strengthening the capacities of NICs and associated epidemiology programmes.
(1) Asia?Pacific strategy for emerging diseases. Manila, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2005 ((LINK), accessed 28 October, 2010).
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