Surveillance and response to avian and pandemic influenza: expanding respiratory surveillance programs in cameroon - the purpose of this project is to support the cameroon ministry of health in…

Surveillance and response to avian and pandemic influenza: expanding respiratory surveillance programs in cameroon - the purpose of this project is to support the cameroon ministry of health in improving its capacity to conduct routine influenza and other respiratory disease surveillance in order to monitor, detect, respond, and mitigate transmission; improve laboratory systems for virologic detection and monitoring; and strengthen connections between national institutions in order to fully participate in the global influenza surveillance and response system (GISRS). In year 1, metabiota in collaboration with the ministry of health aims to accomplish the following component 1 outcomes in infrastructure, epidemiological surveillance, laboratory surveillance, pandemic preparedness, and component 2 outcomes in epidemiological surveillance, laboratory surveillance and viral respiratory pathogen surveillance. In component 1, we will (a) assess influenza surveillance system and develop national strategic plan for influenza surveillance; (B) establish/improve epidemiologic capacity, enhance epidemiological surveillance capacity, and coordinate communication with MOA to implement or maintain animal human interface/one health surveillance system; (C) improve laboratory capacity and enhance animal zoonotic influenza virus knowledge to support animal human interface/onehealth platform; and (D) develop and maintain a national pandemic influenza preparedness plan. In component 2 under epidemiological surveillance, we will (a) evaluate the unusual respiratory event-based surveillance (EBS) pirot project implemented in 2017 ? 2018 and organize an advocacy meeting to build collaboration towards a coordinated human and animal surveillance system; (B) develop and revise operational guidelines for unusual respiratory diseases (non-influenza viral and bacterial) EBS, utilizing a one health approach; (C) build capacity in five health facilities to implement EBS of unusual respiratory diseases in cameroon; (D) review and disseminate data collected during unusual respiratory disease EBS; and (E) support rapid response teams to investigate outbreaks of unusual respiratory events.