Preparedness of network development on avian influenza surveillance in border districts, Nakorn Phanom province for ASEAN Economic Community, 2015

Abstract

Background: Regarding to an emerged avian influenza in Nakorn Phanom Province in 2006, ongoing outbreak of avian influenza in Lao PDR and establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, event-based surveillance for detecting abnormal events at a community level and at ports of entry should be strictly followed under International Health Regulation (2015). An objective of network development on avian influenza surveillance in border districts was to prepare the network in responding to an outbreak of avian influenza.
Methods: Tabletop exercises, functional exercises and an after action review (AAR) were implemented into multidisciplinary groups of public health practitioners in hospitals, and health offices, livestock officers, officers of local administrative organizations, health volunteers, livestock volunteers and leaderships in border communities next to Lao PDR.
Results: A structured review process revealed that insufficient human resources, lack of supplies and equipment such as personal protective equipment (PPE), weak linkage in coordination between regional level and neighboring country, lack of laboratory capacities in the area and absence of standard operating procedures (SOPs) could be main obstacles in activities of surveillance, prevention, control and public communication on avian influenza.
Conclusions: Success factors of network development were having a high level of knowledge related to human and animal avian influenza within communities, regular coordination and cooperation among stakeholders, functional emergency operation center and sufficient budget. In a practical field, a structured review or de-brief process for analyzing the activities need to be done for a long-term success. Finally, an integration of cooperation agreement with the neighboring country needs to be maintained and sustained. The outputs from the network development have been applied to operational plans and policy plan of border surveillance system next year.