Surveillance and Investigation of Endemic Situations in South-East Asia

Vietnam: National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, IP-Ho Chi Minh City, IP-Nha Trang; Cambodia: IP-Cambodia; PR China: IP-Shanghai; PR Laos: National Centre for Laboratory and Epidemiology

The recent emergence or re-emergence in South East Asia of certain viruses raises concerns over the possible outbreak of pandemics. Together with the impact on health, there are also significant economic consequences at the regional level. The discrepancy between countries in this region in the development of surveillance systems and diagnostic techniques has delayed the implementation of public health measures to confront these new risks.
In this context, the presence of the International Network of Pasteur Institutes, which regroups several centers in the Asia-Pacific region all directly involved in the RESPARI program, gives the Institut Pasteur a privileged position to extend its support to important areas of public heath.

In order to face the challenge posed by the risk of new pandemics and ameliorate our preparedness, an agreement was signed on June 9, 2006 by Mr Jean-Michel Debrat, Deputy Director General of Agence Française de Développement and Prof. Alice Dautry, Director General of Institut Pasteur-Paris to implement a program of Surveillance and Investigation of Endemic Situations in South-East Asia (SISEA).

SISEA is a 4-year public health-oriented project whose main goal is to contribute to the improvement of the detection and handling of epidemic situations in the region. Through its activities, SISEA will complement other projects that have been developed at the initiative of other health organizations within the countries in the region (e.g. the US Center for Disease Control, etc.). The activities of the SISEA program form the core of the work packages 1, 2 and 4.

The project is organized into three components:

• Strengthening the network of IP laboratories in Cambodia (Phnom Penh), China (Shanghai), Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang) as well as NCLE Laboratory in Laos.
• Strengthening the epidemic surveillance and warning programmes on emerging viruses in each of the countries associated with the project.
• Strengthening the epidemic response network at a regional level.

The project is supervised by the Institut Pasteur in Paris, through a Steering Committee, headed by the Direction of International Affairs of IP-Paris, which is composed of a representative for each participating country and a delegate from the regional office of the WHO. The Regional Coordination Unit is based in Vientiane, Laos since November 2006. Dr. Juliet Bryant works as Technical Advisor, on the strengthening of laboratory capacity at NCLE.