Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease
Surveillance (MECIDS)
Since 2003, NTI's Global Health and Security Initiative has supported the development of an infectious disease surveillance system in the Middle East. This network, called the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS), currently involves public health leaders, academic institutions, and private health care facilities in Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority working together to prevent and reduce the risk of infectious diseases.
The partnership was up and running when the first outbreak of avian flu was detected in the region and the MECIDS partnership enabled rapid communication and coordination of efforts to help contain the spread of the disease.
MECIDS leaders discuss regional cooperation
at June 2005 meeting [left to right:
Dr. Nasr El-Sayed, Under Secretary of Preventive Affairs of the
Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population; Dr. Adel Balbeisi
, Director, Jordan Center for Disease Control; Dr. Alex Leventhal,
Director, Israel Public Health Service; Prof. Ziad Abdeen, Director,
Al Quds Nutrition and Health Institute; Dr. Bassam Hijawi, Director,
Jordan Health Protection and Promotion; Dr. Assad Ramlawi, Deputy
Director General, Palestinian National Authority Primary Health
Care]
A unique aspect of this project is the development of a laboratory-based data network that will not only be vital for detection and communication of problems, but at the same time will feed into a regional data network to better help identify regional outbreaks and to alert the collaborating neighbor states. In its entirety, the project will enhance existing public health capabilities, and will create an international communication mechanism to enable cooperative detection and management of an outbreak due to a natural disease or a biological terrorist attack.
In March, the World Bank awarded NTI a $1 million to support MECIDS' transition to an independent consortium managed by an international secretariat. MECIDS has formed an Executive Board, developed an 18-month business plan, drafted standing operating procedures and conducted several Executive Board meetings. Although regional conflicts have, at times, hampered planned meetings, conferences and other events, all partners are fully committed to this project.
In November, the MECIDS partners invited representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct a workshop on the International Health Regulations (IHR). The IHR, which were recently amended to include a larger range of diseases, are legally binding regulations adopted by most WHO Member countries to contain the threats from diseases that may rapidly spread from one country to another. Israel and Jordan are both WHO Member States. The Palestinian Authority is not currently a Member State, but was engaged in the discussion about the value and challenges of IHR implementation.
With the support of IBM a project is underway to develop innovative software for a data-sharing network for the MECIDS partners. This includes the supply of computers and servers as well as training for those that will be handling the epidemiological surveillance data. Private companies are also supporting capacity-building by donating critical laboratory equipment. In particular the partners are engaging with Pulsenet Middle East for the supply of PFGE equipment and associated training.
A project of this scope and magnitude can have a profound affect in a region where cooperation and peace are at a daily peril. First, the relationships built through this collaboration of scientists and health officials can extend into a real-time communication network in the actual event of a biological emergency. This may be as simple as knowing someone to call in a neighboring state based on the community trust built through participation in MECIDS. Second, an integrated surveillance system for food- and water-borne diseases can translate into surveillance for other infectious diseases of public health importance, such as tuberculosis or avian influenza. Since the recent cases of avian influenza emerging in the region, MECIDS has demonstrated itself to be an important channel for rapid communication in responding to the most pressing threats facing the region. Moreover, such a network may be crucial for early recognition and response should there be a deliberate attack using a biological agent to cause disease. In a region already deeply troubled by acts of terrorism, this represents a very real concern.
In summary, NTI is supporting the establishment of a national laboratory-based surveillance network in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority that will conduct, share, and discuss surveillance according to harmonized methodologies, that will have a common platform of communication, data sharing and analysis, and that will discuss intervention steps when needed. MECIDS will strengthen the ability to detect, characterize, and analyze infectious disease at every level in the participating nations, and it will create a new mechanism for sharing information across borders. Finally, the cooperation and confidence building that can occur as a result of this project may translate into cooperation on other issues moving the region closer to peace. We want MECIDS to serve as a model for creating infectious disease surveillance networks in other regions of the world. NTI is specifically working on developing a similar infectious disease surveillance network in South Asia.
MECIDS is a collaboration of national and international
organizations including: Al Quds University • Cooperative
Monitoring Center in Amman, Jordan • European Programme
on Intervention Epidemiology Training • Ministry of Health, Israel • Ministry of Health,
Jordan • Ministry of Health, Palestinian Authority •
Sandia National Laboratories • Search for Common Ground
• Tel Aviv University • NTI's Global Health
and Security Initiative • World Health Organization
|
