Surveillance and Response to Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza by Regional Offices of the World Health Organization

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will support the Regional Offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) to implement a coordinated plan to assist national governments and regional authorities to improve surveillance for influenza by enhancing capacity for laboratory and epidemiologic surveillance of seasonal and pandemic influenza; to assist in implementation of simple methods to determine burden of influenza disease in countries and regionally using surveillance data and other routinely collected information; to detect and respond to outbreaks of novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza, swine viruses or other respiratory pathogens with similar pandemic potential; and, to assist countries to conduct activities that inform policies on introduction and increased use of influenza vaccines. Projects considered for this NOFO should build upon existing public health infrastructure focusing on country priorities, strengthen regional and national partnerships, public health capacity, leadership, and strategic collaboration and integrated health programming throughout the Region. Only one application per WHO Regional Office may be submitted. Activities identified should be complementary and not duplicative to the activities targeted through WHO’s Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP) or any other similar projects occurring within a region.