{"meta":{"status":200,"messages":[],"pagination":{"max":1,"offset":0,"count":1,"total":1,"pageNum":1,"totalPages":1,"sort":null,"currentUrl":"https://api.digitalmedia.hhs.gov/api/v2/resources/media.json?offset=0&max=1&ignoreHiddenMedia=1&format=json&id=15522&newUrlBase=http://www.cdc.gov/flu/international/program/2014-15","nextUrl":null,"previousUrl":null}},"results":[{"content":"
\nAs of fiscal year 2014, there are four bilateral influenza cooperative agreements in the WHO Region of the Americas. These agreements with ministries of health (MOH) or institutions designated by the MOHs work with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to build capacity to routinely identify and respond to seasonal and novel influenza strains across the Americas.
\nDirect country support through non-research cooperative agreements is established in the following four countries:
\nIn addition, CDC supports PAHO through a cooperative agreement. CDC also supports activities at the Center for Central America and Panama\u2019s (CDC-CAP), Global Disease Detection (GDD) site in Guatemala. These activities support programs in eight Central American/Caribbean countries: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
\nThe core activities of the bilateral agreements and technical assistance are:
\nIn addition to our bilateral work, we also partner with the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6) in Lima, Peru to jointly support South American countries that are starting influenza surveillance.
\nSara Mirza, PhD, MPH (until October 2015)
Epidemiologist
Extramural Program
Influenza Division, NCIRD
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA
Email: smirza@cdc.gov
Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner, MD, MPH
Medical Officer/Epidemiologist
International Epidemiology and Research Team
Influenza Division, NCIRD
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, GA
Email: eha9@cdc.gov
Susan Kaydos-Daniels, PhD, MSPH
Director, Influenza Program
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u2013 Central American Region
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Email: sqk3@cdc.gov
A map of the WHO Region of the Americas (AMR) shows all 35 AMR member states/countries. The member countries, include Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
\nCountries with shading indicate that the Influenza Division provides project funding and technical assistance through cooperative agreements. Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru are shaded green to indicate Sustainability Cooperative Agreements. Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama are shaded pink to indicate that they receive indirect funding from the Division.
\nCDC Influenza Division Field Staff, indicated by a yellow dot, are located in the following cities: Washington, DC and Guatemala City, Guatemala.
\nThe Global Disease Detection [GDD] Site, indicated by the red \u201cX\u201d, is located in Guatemala.
\nWHO National Influenza Centers (NICs), indicated by a purple dot, are located in Argentina (Buenos Aires, C\u00f3rdoba, and Mar Del Plata), Brazil (Ananindeua, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro), Canada (Winnipeg), Chile (Santiago), Columbia (Bogota), Costa Rica (Cartago), Cuba (Havana), Ecuador (Guayaquil), El Salvador (San Salvador), France-French Guiana (Cayenne), Guatemala (Barcenus), Honduras (Tegucigalpa), Jamaica (Kingston), Mexico (Mexico City), Nicaragua (Managua), Panama (Panama City), Paraguay (Asunci\u00f3n), Peru (Lima), Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain), United States of America (Atlanta, Georgia), Uruguay (Montevideo), and Venezuela (Caracas).
\nThe Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Headquarters, indicated by a blue star, is located in Washington, DC (USA).
\nThe current five-year cooperative agreement, Surveillance and Response to Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza by Regional Offices of the World Health Organization (WHO), began in September 2011 and is now in its fourth year. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and is located in Washington, DC, USA. The Office serves 35 Member States, four Associate Members, and three Participating States.
\nIn 2014\u20132015, technical cooperation activities centered on influenza and pandemic influenza preparedness through strengthening three pillars; epidemiology, laboratory, and analyses to estimate influenza disease burden.
\nIn 2015\u20132016, PAHO will focus on supporting epidemiologic and laboratory capacity in the countries and developing influenza burden of disease estimates. Technical cooperation in strengthening epidemiologic capacity will include training in severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance and developing data-sharing bridges.
\nLaboratory activities will include support for immunofluorescence and real-time RT-PCR, including the detection of other respiratory viruses and building the laboratory networks, including the National Influenza Center (NIC) network and participation in WHO External Quality Assessment Project (EQAP) and CDC proficiency panel.
\nDuring the 2009 influenza pandemic, surveillance for severe respiratory disease became increasingly important. This was because cases in a hospital setting are easier to capture, are smaller in number than the milder ambulatory cases, and during a pandemic, information about severe cases is of paramount importance for making decisions about response. SARInet, a network of PAHO/AMR Member States that conduct SARI surveillance, was created in 2014. Since then, countries in the Americas have been eager to improve their SARI surveillance, and today 15 (43%) countries in PAHO are reporting data through WHO\u2019s FluID platform.
\nConsidering the challenges faced during the pandemic, technical cooperation was directed to increase the capacity in the laboratory to process specimens for real-time RT-PCR, through the purchase of automated extractors and vacuum extractors. PAHO has continued to support the strengthening of laboratory capacity for the diagnosis of influenza and other respiratory viruses, including through the limited decentralization of real-time RT-PCR for influenza, through refresher courses for real-time RT-PCR and immunofluorescence, and through participation in WHO\u2019s EQAP. Through these activities, PAHO continued to strengthen the regional laboratory network, which now consists of 27 NICs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
\nDuring the response to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa, PAHO activated the emergency operation center (EOC) in Washington D.C. to coordinate preparedness activities in the region and provide support in the deployment of rapid response teams (RRT) to West Africa. The EOC serves as the point of contact for communication between technical areas and MOHs. PAHO continues to support all countries in creating situation rooms and EOCs to centralize data and coordinate preparedness activities. In the context of the EVD response, PAHO had the opportunity to evaluate preparedness for the spread of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) and the status of Member States\u2019 core capacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
\nDr. Sylvain Aldighieri
Unit Chief
IHR, Epidemic Alert & Response, and Water Borne Diseases
Pan American Health Organization
Washington, DC
Email: aldighsy@paho.org
Dr. Rakhee Palekar
Coordinator, Flu and Other Viruses (CDC Secondment)
IHR, Epidemic Alert & Response, and Water Borne Diseases
Pan American Health Organization
Washington, DC
Email: palekarr@paho.org
Dr. Jairo Mendez Rico
Advisor, Viral Diseases
IHR, Epidemic Alert & Response, and Water Borne Diseases
Pan American Health Organization
Washington, DC
Email: ricoj@paho.org
Dr. Mauricio Cerpa
Specialist, Influenza Surveillance
IHR, Epidemic Alert & Response, and Water Borne Diseases
Pan American Health Organization
Washington, DC
Email: cerpamau@paho.org
Dr. Angel Rodriguez
Specialist, Influenza Surveillance
IHR, Epidemic Alert & Response, and Water Borne Diseases
Pan American Health Organization
Washington, DC
Email: rodrigueza@paho.org
Dr. Robert Lee
Advisor, Policy Analysis and Program Planning
IHR, Epidemic Alert & Response, and Water Borne Diseases
Pan American Health Organization
Washington, DC
Email: leerober@paho.org
Mr. Travis High
Program Officer
IHR, Epidemic Alert & Response, and Water Borne Diseases
Pan American Health Organization
Washington, DC
Email: hight@paho.org
\n Top of Page
\n