The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network
Open Access
- 5 August 2014
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Global Public Health
- Vol. 9 (9), 1023-1039
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2014.951870
Abstract
The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) was established in 2000 as a network of technical institutions, research institutes, universities, international health organisations and technical networks willing to contribute and participate in internationally coordinated responses to infectious disease outbreaks. It reflected a recognition of the need to strengthen and coordinate rapid mobilisation of experts in responding to international outbreaks and to overcome the sometimes chaotic and fragmented operations characterising previous responses. The network partners agreed that the World Health Organization would coordinate the network and provide a secretariat, which would also function as the operational support team. The network has evolved to comprise 153 institutions/technical partners and 37 additional networks, the latter encompassing a further 355 members and has been directly involved in 137 missions to 79 countries, territories or areas. Future challenges will include supporting countries to achieve the capacity to detect and respond to outbreaks of international concern, as required by the International Health Regulations (2005). GOARN's increasing regional focus and expanding geographic composition will be central to meeting these challenges. The paper summarises some of network's achievements over the past 13 years and presents some of the future challenges.This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreak in Masindi District, Uganda: outbreak description and lessons learnedBMC Infectious Diseases, 2011
- The Use of a Mobile Laboratory Unit in Support of Patient Management and Epidemiological Surveillance during the 2005 Marburg Outbreak in AngolaPLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2011
- Responding to emerging diseases: reducing the risks through understanding of emergenceWestern Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2011
- High‐Throughput Molecular Detection of Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Threats with Applications for Outbreak SettingsThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2007
- Les pathogènes émergents, la veille internationale et le Règlement sanitaire international (2005)Medecine Et Maladies Infectieuses, 2006
- Risk Factors for Human Infection with Avian Influenza A H5N1, Vietnam, 2004Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2006
- The Contribution of International Agencies to the Control of Communicable DiseasesArchives of Medical Research, 2005
- The international response to the outbreak of SARS in 2003Philosophical Transactions B, 2004
- Rapid Diagnosis of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever by Reverse Transcription-PCR in an Outbreak Setting and Assessment of Patient Viral Load as a Predictor of OutcomeJournal of Virology, 2004
- Rumors of Disease in the Global Village: Outbreak VerificationEmerging Infectious Diseases, 2000