Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 16:21:23 -0400
From: Ron St.John <[log in to unmask]>


At the recently concluded meeting of the World Health Organization
(WHO) Executive Board in Geneva, January 1998, Canada noted its
concern regarding the emergence and re-emergence of both national
and international infectious diseases (ERIDs) as threats to global
public health.  To respond to ERIDs, Canada believes that the first
priority is to provide support to WHO?s member countries to improve
their national disease surveillance capacity.  Secondly, WHO must
have a strengthened capacity to monitor and coordinate disease
surveillance at the international level.  Finally, we must have
an effective early detection and response system which will aid
countries to control disease when outbreaks exceed their domestic
capabilities.

An effective early detection system is beginning to evolve and
Canada plans to contribute to that process.  In February 1997,
the Government of Canada provided funding to enhance its health
information info-structure.  Under the terms of a memorandum of
understanding with WHO represented by its Division of Emerging
and other Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Control (EMC),
this funding source is being used to establish a global disease
monitoring system.  This system will monitor disease outbreaks and
natural disasters on a world-wide basis, beginning with a pilot
project in May 1998, with a full prototype to follow when the
feasibility of the concept is fully demonstrated.  This computer-
based electronic system will scan continuously sources such as
ProMED-mail, news wire services and other Internet-based sources.
The information will be provided systematically to WHO, and WHO
will be responsible for working with national authorities to
verify potentially high risk outbreaks.

Canada hopes that its contribution in this area will help knit
together an international surveillance system for ERIDs.

- --
R. St. John
Special Assistant to the Director General
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
Health Canada
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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