title: Responding to pandemic influenza in Cambodia and Lao PDR: challenges in moving from strategy to operation.
abstract: Low income countries in Southeast Asia are in a region at risk of emerging infectious diseases, notably SARS, H5N1 influenza and H1N1 influenza. Efforts have focused largely upon early outbreak response, though with the emergence of pandemic influenza, countries in the region are having to prepare to implement mitigation measures. We review the challenges for strategy and operation faced by two low income countries, Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), and highlight successes in planing and implementation to date as well as identifying needs and challenge that may hinder the future effectiveness of control measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavislock Place, WC1H 9SH, UK. joia.desa@lshtm.ac.uk
authors.forename: Joia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Sa
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mounier-Jack
authors.forename: Chau
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Darapheak
authors.forename: Ly Khunbun
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Narann
authors.forename: Rattanaxay
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Phetsouvanh
authors.forename: Nyphonh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chanthakoummane
authors.forename: Sok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Touch
authors.forename: Bounlay
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Phommasack
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coker
mesh_terms: D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004189:Disaster Planning; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D007812:Laos / Q000453:epidemiology; D058873:Pandemics / Q000517:prevention & control*