Strengthening Infectious-Disease Research Capacity for Public- Health Action in Guatemala and Central America

The HHS/CDC/COGH is seeking a cooperative agreement with the Center for Health Studies of the Institute for Research of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) to strengthen capacity in Guatemala and Central America to address the following goals:1. To conduct field and laboratory research on important human infectious diseases, with an emphasis on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases as well as other identifiable public health problems. 2. To incorporate the results of research into operational disease prevention and control programs in Guatemala and Central America and ensure sharing of expertise and research findings with other nations. Projects may be developed as part of this Research Cooperative Agreement addressing the following public health issues: 1. Improving local, national and regional capacity to detect newly emerging diseases, especially influenza, through the implementation of surveillance and the development and evaluation of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests;2. Identifying modifiable risk factors for priority infectious diseases in Guatemala and Central America, including influenza, other respiratory, vector-borne, diarrheal, and other water- and food-borne illnesses;3. Assessing and monitor antimicrobial resistance, including drug resistance to antivirals used to treat influenza, in emerging infectious pathogens in Guatemala and the region;