Maintenance of Influenza Surveillance Capacity by National Health Authorities Outside the United States.

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During the past decade, the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has worked with nations around the world to build capacity to prepare, detect, and respond to pandemics, both actual and potential. Through previous Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) and subsequent Cooperative Agreements, the CDC with international partners and national ministries of health focused on three pillars: 1) preparedness and communication; 2) surveillance and detection; 3) response and containment.The intent of this program is to provide additional support for countries that began and/or enhanced influenza surveillance networks and the systematic collection of virological and epidemiological influenza information with funding from the prior announcements or programs. Countries are expected to develop and implement detailed plans to fully assume responsibilities and funding for robust and timely routine surveillance systems for seasonal, novel and pandemic influenza. The systems should have the ability for rapid detection of and response to potential pandemic influenza as well as for monitoring the occurrence and assessing the impact of seasonal influenza in the country. Countries are encouraged to focus on severe respiratory disease surveillance capacity, but are not limited to this strategy. Countries receiving funding must maintain or make progress towards having an active World Health Organization (WHO) National Influenza Center (NIC) laboratory and contribute regularly to the Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN). Countries will be required to develop and implement a plan to phase out United States (U.S.) government financial assistance for their influenza surveillance systems over the five years of this new cooperative agreement.

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