Enhanced surveillance for detection and management of infectious diseases: regional collaboration in the middle East.
Formed before international negotiations of the revised International Health Regulations (IHR), the Middle East Consortium for Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS) is a regional collaboration aimed at facilitating implementation of the revised IHR and, more broadly, improving the detection and control of infectious disease outbreaks among neighboring countries in an area of continuous dispute. Initially focused on enhancing foodborne disease surveillance, MECIDS has expanded the scope of its work to also include avian and pandemic influenza and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Here, we describe the history and governance of MECIDS, highlighting key achievements over the consortium's seven-year history, and discuss the future of MECIDS.
Ministry of Health, Israel; Braun School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. alex.leventhal@moh.health.gov.il
Alex
A
Leventhal
Assad
A
Ramlawi
Adel
A
Belbiesi
Sami
S
Sheikh
Akhtam
A
Haddadin
Sari
S
Husseini
Ziad
Z
Abdeen
Dani
D
Cohen
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004199:Disease Vectors; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005517:Foodborne Diseases; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005585:Influenza in Birds; D007251:Influenza, Human; D007391:International Cooperation; D008877:Middle East; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011159:Population Surveillance
Middle East; avian influenza preparedness; cross-border collaboration; foodborne disease surveillance; pandemic influenza