Cooperative Agreement NU51IP000920

SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE TO AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IN VIETNAM - THE NATIONAL INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (NISS) IN VIETNAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2006 UNDER COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH US CDC, AND GRADUALLY BECAME NATIONAL ROUTINE INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY. THE COMPONENTS PROPOSED AND APPLIED FOR THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ARE DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE CURRENT EXISTING NISS FOR BOTH EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE AND LABORATORY CAPACITY. IF AWARDED, THE PURPOSES OF THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT ARE TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF THE EXISTING INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE AND ENHANCE ANIMAL-HUMAN HEALTH SECTOR COLLABORATION IN SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE TO AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IN VIETNAM. THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF TWO COMPONENTS, THE FIRST COMPONENT COVERS INFLUENZA CORE ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF EXISTING NISS AND THE SECOND COMPONENT CONTAINS ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE CAPACITY OF THE NISS FOR NON INFLUENZA PATHOGEN SURVEILLANCE. THE FIRST INTENT IS TO IMPROVE CAPACITY OF THE ROUTINE SURVEILLANCE TO MONITOR INFLUENZA ACTIVITY AND TO DETECT AND RESPOND TO ANY SIGNAL OF A PANDEMIC INFLUENZA. THE SECOND INTENT IS TO STRENGTHEN HUMAN-ANIMAL COLLABORATION IN AVIAN INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE TO DETECT ANIMAL INFLUENZA HUMAN INFECTIONS FOR EARLY RESPONSE. THE THIRD INTENT IS TO SUPPORT NISS TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE WHO GLOBAL INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE SYSTEM (GISRS) THROUGH REGULAR INFLUENZA INFORMATION REPORTING, AND TO PROMOTE THE NATIONAL INFLUENZA CENTERS (NIC) TO MAINTAIN CAPACITY TO SHARE INFLUENZA POSITIVE SAMPLES TO WHO-CC ON REGULAR BASIS. THE SECOND COMPONENT IS DESIGNED TO EXTEND CAPACITY TO DETECT AND MONITOR NON INFLUENZA PATHOGENS THAT PRESENT A POTENTIAL RISK FOR OUTBREAK IN HUMAN, ESPECIALLY HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUSES.