US helps combat seasonal and pandemic influenza

The US Government, through the Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), is partnering with the Health Ministry Epidemiology Unit to enhance Sri Lanka's ability to monitor and track seasonal influenza and prepare for, detect and respond to an influenza pandemic.

Under the program, CDC will provide over Rs. 34 million a year up to four years to support surveillance, laboratory capacity and training. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population.

The most recent influenza pandemic, caused by the pandemic H1N1 virus, occurred over the course of the past year.

US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Patricia A. Butenis and representatives from the CDS's Influenza Division met with Health Ministry staff and officials to discuss the partnership recently. According to Ambassador Butenis, "Sri Lanka has long had one of the best preparedness programs in place to counter pandemic influenza.

The CDC support will augment and expand several initiatives at the Health Ministry including the improvement of laboratory diagnostic capacity; the linkage of the Medical Research Institute with the Epidemiology Unit and regional influenza monitoring sites and the training of regional epidemiologists, hospital infection control nursing officers and laboratory technicians on influenza laboratory and epidemiological surveillance.