September 23 2005

Following the framework of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) strategic plan for pandemic influenza preparedness, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has developed this draft document to direct technical cooperation activities for regional preparedness. It gives background, justification, and objectives; reviews key accomplishments; and then develops the operational phases of the plan according the "pre-pandemic", "pandemic emergence", and "pandemic declared and spreading internationally" phases. Each of 11 steps in this framework contains a description of the conditions of the population and the objectives of the interventions. Expected results are listed numerically with an indicator and key activities for each.


As stated in the document, PAHO's governing bodies requested the provision of support to countries in preventing and preparing for pandemic influenza, with this document of strategic and operational plan details as the result of this mandate.


The 11 objectives for the 3 phases are as follows:
1. Promote the development of national influenza pandemic preparedness plans.
2. Strengthen surveillance through early warning systems.
3. Support countries in making available pandemic vaccine and antiviral drugs.
4. Plan for health-care services and infection control.
5. Reduce opportunities for human infection.
6. Implement a communication strategy and raise awareness to encourage pandemic planning.
7. Estimate potential impact of an influenza pandemic and assess additional information gaps to guide policy-making.
8. Build partnerships and strategic alliances in support of an effective response to pandemic influenza.
9. Contain or delay early spread of the virus.
10. Reduce morbidity, mortality, and social disruption through a coordinated response.
11. Quantify and monitor pandemic impact and epidemiology.


As an example of how the document takes each of these objectives and enumerates expected results (ER) with indicators and activities, ER1.2 states: "Simulation exercises developed and tested in at least 10 countries of over 1 million inhabitants to assess the practicality and feasibility of the plans." The indicator of this is: "Ten simulation exercises conducted in an equal number of countries covering all PAHO subregions." The key activities list includes convening a group to develop the simulation to be applicable to the Americas, along with indicators to evaluate its effectiveness and practicality; conducting the exercises regionally for actors in the health field and for PAHO offices; evaluating the results; and supporting countries in developing subregional simulation exercises in the agricultural sector.

Email from Bryna Brennan to The Communication Initiative on August 13; and Pan American Health Organization website.