title: National Studies as a Component of the World Health Organization Initiative to Estimate the Global and Regional Burden of Foodborne Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The World Health Organization (WHO) initiative to estimate the global burden of foodborne diseases established the Foodborne Diseases Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) in 2007. In addition to global and regional estimates, the initiative sought to promote actions at a national level. This involved capacity building through national foodborne disease burden studies, and encouragement of the use of burden information in setting evidence-informed policies. To address these objectives a FERG Country Studies Task Force was established and has developed a suite of tools and resources to facilitate national burden of foodborne disease studies. This paper describes the process and lessons learned during the conduct of pilot country studies under the WHO FERG initiative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pilot country studies were initiated in Albania, Japan and Thailand in 2011 and in Uganda in 2012. A brief description of each study is provided. The major scientific issue is a lack of data, particularly in relation to disease etiology, and attribution of disease burden to foodborne transmission. Situation analysis, knowledge translation, and risk communication to achieve evidence-informed policies require specialist expertise and resources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FERG global and regional burden estimates will greatly enhance the ability of individual countries to fill data gaps and generate national estimates to support efforts to reduce the burden of foodborne disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Robin J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.|Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.|Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Public Health, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.|Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brecht
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Devleesschauwer
authors.affiliation: Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nasinyama
authors.affiliation: Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States of America.
authors.forename: Arie H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Havelaar
authors.affiliation: Division of Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuchenmüller
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Juanita A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Haagsma
authors.affiliation: Iowa State University, Ames, United States of America.
authors.forename: Helen H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nasreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jessani
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Public Health, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Charline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maertens de Noordhout
authors.affiliation: Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United States of America.
authors.forename: Frederick J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Angulo
authors.affiliation: Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States of America.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ehiri
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Health & Environment Department, Food Safety & Nutrition Section, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Lindita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Molla
authors.affiliation: National Drug Authority, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Friday
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Agaba
authors.affiliation: International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Suchunya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aungkulanon
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Public Health, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Speybroeck
mesh_terms: D000415:Albania / Q000453:epidemiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014944:World Health Organization