To enhance health security in WHO South-East Asia Region, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Bank (WB), today launched a multi-country project to strengthen collaborative surveillance and diagnostic readiness for pandemic preparedness and response.
The three-year project “Enhancing Collaborative Surveillance and Diagnostic Readiness for Pandemic Preparedness and Response in South-East Asia,” is supported by the Pandemic Fund with a grant exceeding 15 million US dollars. The project aims to improve early warning systems, expand diagnostic capacities, and boost environmental monitoring. These interventions will enhance health security by enabling early detection and implementation of mitigation measures to prevent large scale outbreaks and transmission.
The initiative spans eight countries-Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste- and focuses on strengthening health systems focusing on surveillance, diagnostics, and human resources capacities for pandemic preparedness and response.
Adopting a One Health approach, the project aims to integrate human, animal, and environmental health efforts to tackle risks collaboratively and prevent future outbreaks. This approach includes the creation of regional mechanisms and platforms to support countries utilizing comparative advantage of Member States, a digital cross-border data repository, the implementation of gender-sensitive early warning systems and tailored community strategies.
The project also builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and prioritizes collaboration among Member States to leverage collective strengthen and resources. Efforts will focus on strengthening multi-source collaborative surveillance including environmental and wastewater surveillance, enhance engagement of primary healthcare systems and communities, strengthen reference laboratories and their quality management systems.
Additionally, the programme aims to build and strengthen workforce skills in field epidemiology, laboratory leadership and emergency management, ensuring countries are better equipped for future global health crises. The project also emphasizes community engagement and integration of community efforts with national health systems to ensure primary healthcare facilities and communities are better prepared to prevent, mitigate, and respond to potential threats.
With a strong backing of the pandemic fund and the combined expertise of WHO, FAO, UNICEF, and the World Bank, the project is poised to create a more resilient South-East Asia, safeguarding the health and wellbeing of its population, and contributing to global health security.