In 2017, Nipah virus (NiV) was declared as one of the World Health Organization’s top eight emerging pathogens. Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly emerging zoonosis first identified during an outbreak of disease that occurred in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998. Since then outbreaks have occurred causing human infections in Malaysia, Singapore, India and Bangladesh. In WHO’s South East Asia Region (SEAR), a geographically-distinct NiV strain independently emerged in India as well as in Bangladesh causing human NiV cases.
Against this background of appearance of Nipah outbreaks in India and Bangladesh in the WHO South East Asia Region, a need has arisen for the WHO to develop a comprehensive framework for combatting Nipah in the region and ensure availability of evidence-based guidance to Member States for effectively implementing them in an event of an outbreak. Because of this need, with a view to developing a regional road map to combat NiV infections, the Infectious Hazard Management (IHM) unit of the WHO’s Health Emergency Department organized an expert consultation on 15-16 October 2019 at New Delhi, India.
The broad objectives of the consultation were:
- To appraise global and regional experience and good practices for their relevance in Nipah virus infection prevention and control in SEAR
- To advise the Regional Director on regional needs, priorities and gaps in combatting Nipah virus infections
- To provide recommendations to develop a road map towards combatting Nipah virus infection in SEAR including, conducting priority research related to Nipah virus infections prior to, during and post Nipah outbreaks
The meeting was attended by 24 experts specialized in ten thematic areas. They were from India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, United States of America, United Kingdom. The secretariat was represented by the staff from Health Emergency Department. Communicable Diseases and Surveillance (CDS) department in WHO’s Regional Office for the South East Asia Region, WHO’s headquarter and the WHO Country Office for India. The ten thematic areas that the consultation focussed on were:
- Understanding social and ecological factors and their need for control of Nipah virus diseases and responding to Nipah virus disease outbreaks
- Policy, strategy and regulatory needs for Nipah virus disease control
- Laboratory diagnosis of Nipah virus infections
- Clinical diagnosis and management of Nipah patients
- Research and development related to Nipah virus infections
- Surveillance, alert, detection and responding to Nipah virus disease outbreaks
- Behavioural changes for modification and reduction of risks
- Health system capacity and readiness for detection and response to Nipah virus outbreaks
- One health approach for control of Nipah virus infections
- Countermeasures (Diagnosis, vaccines and therapeutics) needed for managing Nipah patients
As the Key outcome of the expert consultation, experts provided a comprehensive list of recommendations pertinent to these ten thematic areas so as enable SEARO to develop a roadmap for combatting Nipah Virus Infection in WHO’s South East Asia Region.
Summary and recommendation "Expert Consultation on Nipah Virus Infection in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 15-16 October 2019, New Delhi, India"