Surveillance, detection and response: managing emerging diseases at national and international levels

Globalisation is leading to a rise in the emergence of diseases and the author describes the new challenges that this brings for individual countries and the international community. The paper describes the existing international early warning systems and response mechanisms, discusses the role of international organisations in managing diseases that have the potential for cross-border spread, and underlines the importance of disease surveillance, detection and response at national level. While international collaboration exists in dealing with disease emergency situations, there is a need to develop regional and international contingency plans that can be launched as soon as an emergency situation arises. This will only be possible if there is the political will to tackle problems wherever they occur. The Global Early Warning System, which is a system currently being developed jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the World Health Organization, could provide an effective framework in which to achieve a higher level of international emergency preparedness.