title: The role of disease surveillance in achieving IHR compliance by 2012.
abstract: The World Health Organization's revised International Health Regulations (IHR (2005)) call for member state compliance by mid-2012. Variation in disease surveillance and core public health capacities will affect each member state's ability to meet this deadline. We report on topics presented at the preconference workshop, "The Interaction of Disease Surveillance and the International Health Regulations," held at the 2010 International Society for Disease Surveillance conference in Park City, Utah. Presenters were from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, U.S. Naval Research Unit Six, the Philippines' National Epidemiologic Center, and the French armed forces. The topics addressed were: an overview of the revised IHRs; disease surveillance systems implemented in Peru, the Philippines, and by the French armed forces; the capacity building efforts of the CDC; partnerships and contributions to IHR compliance from HHS; and the application of the IHRs to special populations. Results from the meeting evaluation indicate that many participants found the information useful in better understanding current efforts of the U.S. government and international organizations, areas for collaboration, and how the IHRs apply to their countries' public health systems. Topics to address at future workshops include progress and challenges to IHR implementation across all member states and additional examples of how disease surveillance supports the IHRs in resource-constrained countries. The preconference workshop provided the opportunity to convene public health experts from all regions of the world. Stronger collaborations and support to better detect and respond to public health events through building sustainable disease surveillance systems will not only help member states to meet IHR compliance by 2012, but will also improve pandemic preparedness and global health security.
authors.affiliation: Division of Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response Systems, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904, USA.
authors.forename: Talia M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Quandelacy
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andraghetti
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hora
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Meynard
authors.forename: Joel M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Vito G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Roque
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Blazes
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D035082:Federal Government; D014943:Global Health; D033161:Government Regulation; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D016730:Program Development; D011634:Public Health; D014589:Utah; D014944:World Health Organization