Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance

The Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance (MBDS) consortium is a self-organised and sub-regional co-operation spearheaded by health ministries from member countries to collaborate on infectious disease surveillance and control. The co-operation focuses on cross-border co-operation at selected sites and has matured through several phases of work.[1] PRO/MBDS is a component of the outbreak reporting system ProMED-mail.

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History

The Ministries of Health of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2001 in Kunming, China, with the Regional Coordinating office agreed to be located in the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Thailand.[2]

H1N1 Pandemic

MBDS officials surveyed generally rated the organization's response to the H1N1 pandemic favorably.[3] The two factors that they listed as the most important in determining an effective pandemic response were national preparedness plans developed after exercises in 2006 as well as strong political leadership. Coordination within MBDS was rated as a less important factor, suggesting that the development of preparedness plans may have been more effective than the organizational structure itself.

Structure

Executive Board

MBDS Coordinating Office

Dr. Moe Ko Oo MBDS Coordinator, c/o Ministry of Public Health

Achievements

MBDS has applied epidemiology and GIS, initiated tabletop exercises (TTXs) on Pandemic Preparedness in country and regional levels in 2006 and 2007. It is prepared to conduct at least one outbreak investigation, TTX or drill at each cross-border site each year, seeking to conduct joint investigation of a zoonotic disease as a particular priority.[4]

In May 2007, the extension of MOU was signed by the six MBDS health ministers in Geneva, for indefinite time period. With the increasing number of cross-border sites, MBDS developed a new 6-year action plan focusing on seven inter- related core strategies.[5]

It piloted cross-border co-operation, with the exchange of regular disease information on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis, cross-border meetings, monitoring and evaluation, multi-sector engagement (especially immigration, local authorities), cross-border epidemiologic case history, cross-border medical care and clinical follow-up to nearby provincial areas. It has used 2-way ICT-based communications between local, provincial and central levels in routine surveillance reporting and outbreak investigation (examples include equipment and protocols for communications through internet, cell phone SMS messaging, satellite telephones, telephone hotline, email).[6]

It has also trained field epidemiologist and health officials of Member Countries through treating FETP alumni as training staff for countries to establish new long-term and short-term epidemiology training programs, at the same time enhancing short-course training in each member country by supporting curriculum design and training or providing lecturers/expert.[7] During 2006–2007, 110 workers were trained in either field epidemiology and disease surveillance, analytical techniques or social, political and economic aspects of border health.[8]

An unprecedented joint avian influenza investigation was triggered when an infected Lao citizen was found in Thailand. Since then, Vietnam and Lao PDR also carried out joint investigations for outbreaks of typhoid and malaria.[9]

MBDS partners with Rockefeller Foundation (RF), Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), Google, RAND, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC), US Agency for International Development (USAID)/Kenan Institute, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Google, InSTEDD, ChangeFusion, Opendream.[10]

References
  1. Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Global Health and Security Initiative Archived 8 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Moore, Melinda; Dausey, David J (16 September 2011). "Response to the 2009-H1N1 Influenza Pandemic in the Mekong Basin: Surveys of Country Health Leaders". BMC Research Notes. 4 (361) – via BioMed Central.
  4. Avian Influenza and Pandemic Threat Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance Network Signs New Memorandum of Agreement at World Health Assembly" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  6. Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance Network Presentation Archived 8 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Outcome and Impact Assessment of the Global Response to the Avian Influenza Crisis
  8. Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Responses to Avian Influenza and State of Pandemic Readiness Third Global Progress Report
  10. Promoting Trans-national Collaboration in Disease Surveillance and Control Archived 16 July 2012 at archive.today

General references
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