Surveillance and response to avian and pandemic influenza by national health authorities outside the united states - the main project goal is to maintain established influenza surveillance system…

Surveillance and response to avian and pandemic influenza by national health authorities outside the united states - the main project goal is to maintain established influenza surveillance system and all capacities built and established in georgia within three previous cooperative agreements to detect, monitor, respond and mitigate transmission of novel influenza viruses. IT will also enable national center for disease control and public health of georgia to maintain their world health organization (who) national influenza center (NIC) laboratory and to fully participate in the who global influenza surveillance and response system (GISRS) by sharing specimens and clinical and epidemiologic data on disease related to the circulation of influenza. The proposal will be addressing four major strategies: 1. Infrastructure, 2) epidemiological surveillance, 3) laboratory surveillance and 4) pandemic preparedness. To achieve the goal the following scope of work will be performed: 1) to improve health system workers knowledge in influenza issues, training materials will be prepared and round of trainings will be conducted throughout the country by ncdc specialists; 2) data collected throughout the year will be analyzed to produce weekly, monthly and an annual reports; data will be uploaded on ncdc web-site (WWW.ncdc.GE) on weekly basis; 3) ILI, sari and virological sentinel sites will operate according to standard protocols and be responsible to provide samples and epidemiological data; to monitor sentinel sites functioning according to standard protocols the project management unit will evaluate them by onsite visits; 4) national influenza center will be provided with all reagents and supplies necessary for permanent and appropriate functioning in a routine regime and in terms of increased workload; 5) ncdc georgia will report any novel or unsubtypable influenza a to national authorities and who and ship specimens or isolates within one week to a who collaborating center and CDC; and will continue sending virus isolates or RT-PCR positive specimens to a who collabora ting center at least two times a year; 6) ncdc georgia will continue provision of influenza surveillance data on weekly basis to tessy and weekly reports to the ministry of health, partners within the country, upon request to CDC; 7) ncdc staff will participate with CDC?S influenza division in relevant meetings, assessments, discussions and other opportunities as they may arise in case of funding availability. Ncdc georgia will collaborate with CDC atlanta (georgia country office) with who/ecdc, who regional office to agree all proposed activities and training materials; NIC georgia sends positive specimens to whocc london as rule twice per year. In case of CDC request an additional package of positive original clinical specimens will be sent to CDC also. Ncdc georgia fully participates in the who global influenza surveillance and response system (GISRS). Reports/abstracts on lab and epidemiological findings will be presented at different meetings and conferences. The major outcome will be maintained influenza surveillance system capable timely detect, monitor, respond and mitigate transmission of novel influenza viruses. For the first project period essential outputs will be: 1) trained health care providers with increased their knowledge on influenza surveillance, prevention and outbreak response 2) developed and shared weekly, monthly and annual influenza surveillance data by upload on ncdc web-site (WWW.ncdc.GE) 3) maintained sentinel sites operate according to standard protocols and appropriately collected samples and relevant epidemiological data provided; 4)well functioning NIC, produced lab data; 5) feedback reports from whocc on received positive specimens from NIC georgia; 6) presence of timely data in tessy database; 7)influenza surveillance data presented during meeting with CDC?S influenza division.