61st Directing Council of PAHO: Strategy on epidemic intelligence for strengthening early warning of health emergencies 2024-2029

On 2 October 2024, IFPMA delivered a statement at the 61st Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): Strategy on epidemic intelligence for strengthening early warning of health emergencies 2024-2029.

The focus on strengthening regional epidemic intelligence capacity is critical to raise an early warning and respond quickly to health emergencies, and to strengthen our response to the ongoing AMR crisis. Our collective ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics rests on three principles: robust surveillance, immediate information and data sharing, and the scientific community's ability to collaborate efficiently and effectively.

To inform the strategy implementation, we would like to emphasize the importance of the following considerations:

• A key driver for success will be health systems strengthening, including ensuring appropriate technical and professional capacity at the local, national, and regional levels.
• Surveillance that is representative of a region's epidemiological reality is a pre-requisite to the creation of a stable, regional structure, with long-term financing to ensure a sustainable framework.
• The One Health approach is vital in effective surveillance and response strategies, with cross-sectoral collaboration and partnerships at the national, regional, and global levels.

Integrated, agile, and well-resourced surveillance systems are not only a critical building block for a strengthened global health architecture, but enable the research community, including the innovative pharmaceutical industry, to research and develop the necessary medical countermeasures as rapidly as possible.