Capacity-building efforts by the AFHSC-GEIS program

Area of Science:

• Global Health Security
• Infectious Disease Surveillance
• Public Health Capacity Building

Background:

• Capacity-building initiatives are crucial for public health.
• These initiatives involve laboratory infrastructure, disease surveillance, technical expertise, and training.
• The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center's Division of Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (AFHSC-GEIS) significantly contributed to global emerging infectious disease (EID) surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the scope and impact of AFHSC-GEIS capacity-building efforts.
• To highlight the collaboration with international health ministries and institutions.
• To demonstrate support for national and regional EID reference laboratories.

Main Methods:

• Capacity-building initiatives were implemented globally.
• Partnerships were established with Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Defense.
• Support was provided for laboratory infrastructure, equipment, and reference testing.

Main Results:

• Over 80 government entities in multiple countries were engaged.
• Support extended to 52 national influenza centers and EID reference laboratories in 46 countries.
• Reference testing and laboratory support reached over 500 field sites in 74 countries.

Conclusions:

• AFHSC-GEIS capacity-building efforts significantly enhanced global EID surveillance and response.
• These initiatives aided countries in meeting International Health Regulations (2005) milestones.
• Collaborative efforts strengthened global public health infrastructure and preparedness.