Foreword The Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases (APSED) was developed in 2005 to meet the challenges of emerging diseases that pose serious threats to regional and global health security. It provided a common framework to strengthen national and regional capacities to manage emerging diseases, improve pandemic preparedness and comply with the core capacity requirements of the International Health Regulations (2005). Implementation of APSED over the past five years in the 11 countries that comprise the WHO South-East Asia Region and 37 countries and areas that make up the WHO Western Pacific Region provided important lessons in pandemic response and demonstrated the need to further strengthen public health emergency preparedness and improve monitoring and evaluation. The Asia Pacific Technical Advisory Group on Emerging Infectious Diseases, at its fourth annual meeting in July 2009, reviewed the significant achievements obtained in the five priority areas identified in the original strategy: surveillance and response; laboratory; zoonoses; infection control; and risk communications. The Technical Advisory Group recommended that APSED be updated to enhance the gains already achieved in the original five priority areas and use the achievements as a foundation to address a wider range of acute public health threats. The recommendation of the Technical Advisory Group led to a series of intensive countrylevel assessments and discussions, as well as a biregional consultation that brought together regional and global experts, along with public health officials from various Member States. Those assessments and consultations led to a draft APSED (2010) in which three new focus areas have been added: public health emergency preparedness; regional preparedness, alert and response; and monitoring and evaluation. The draft APSED (2010) was reviewed and endorsed by the Technical Advisory Group at its fifth annual meeting in July 2010. The development of the original APSED in 2005 was greatly influenced by several events in the Asia Pacific Region, including the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza A(H5N1), and also by the adoption of the International Health Regulations (2005). Since that time, the Asia Pacific region has experienced an increasing number of threats to public health, including the establishment of avian influenza as an endemic disease in some areas, the onset and subsequent global spread of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009, and a large number of other acute events with significant public health impact.
Foreword
5
The past five years have also led to a greater appreciation of the need to acknowledge and strengthen links among agencies responsible for confronting acute public health threats. These include animal health authorities, departments concerned with the response to humanitarian emergencies, and those tasked with food, chemical and radiological safety. APSED (2010) aims to establish stronger links among these related public health programmes, thereby ensuring a joint approach to preparedness and response to all public health emergencies. We all recognize that regional and global public health security cannot be achieved without strong mechanisms for international cooperation. One of the great successes of APSED and its alignment with the International Health Regulations (2005) has been the ability to draw together a wide range of partners, including Member States, donors, multilateral organizations and technical agencies. By engaging with all partners in this way and working towards a common vision, we also build regional solidarity, resilience and self-reliance. We continue this journey in the aftermath of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009, which although not as severe as initially feared, tested public health and health care systems, revealing strengths and weaknesses but also providing opportunities to learn lessons and to improve our preparedness for future pandemic threats. We certainly will continue to face new challenges as we move forward. But we can do so knowing that a strong foundation has been established, and that, thanks to the updated Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases, we have a clear direction for the future.
Samlee Plianbangchang, M.D., Dr.P.H. Regional Director South-East Asia Region Shin Young-soo, M.D., Ph.D. Regional Director Western Pacific Region
6
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR WHO TECHNICAL AND COUNTRY WORK: GETTING THE RIGHT FOCUS