“Through our experience of responding to pandemics and emergencies, we have learnt that decision-making to manage health emergencies should be informed by a synthesis of multiple sources of information,” she said.“This approach requires the strengthening of surveillance systems and capacities, and collaboration among diverse stakeholders from multiple sectors. The future of health security in our region depends on sustainable investments in surveillance and laboratory capacities, timely data sharing, and cross-sectoral partnerships,” the Regional Director said.At the meet, the 11 member countries, including India, decided to further enhance multi-source surveillance to improve public health intelligence and evidence for decision-making during complex health emergencies that are marked by uncertainties and compounded by multiple vulnerabilities.Emphasising that strong laboratory systems are the backbone of effective surveillance, Wazed called for enhancing investment in sustainable diagnostic capacities.Officials from member countries heading surveillance for epidemic and pandemic-prone diseases, public health laboratories, national public health operations centres, surveillance in other sectors such as animal health, environment, and meteorology, and those responsible for communicating events under International Health Regulations, as well as experts and partners, participated in the meeting.They discussed priority actions to enhance collaboration among in-country surveillance stakeholders across sectors and improve international information sharing and cross-border collaboration in the context of the amended International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005).
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