%0 Journal Article
%T Enhanced Surveillance for Detection and Management of Infectious Diseases: Regional Collaboration in the Middle East
%A Alex Leventhal
%A Assad Ramlawi
%A Adel Belbiesi
%A Sami Sheikh
%J Emerging Health Threats Journal
%D 2013
%I Co-Action Publishing
%R 10.3402/ehtj.v6i0.19955
%X Formed before international negotiations of the revised International Health Regulations (IHR), the Middle East Consortium for Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS) is a regional collaboration aimed at facilitating implementation of the revised IHR and, more broadly, improving the detection and control of infectious disease outbreaks among neighboring countries in an area of continuous dispute. Initially focused on enhancing foodborne disease surveillance, MECIDS has expanded the scope of its work to also include avian and pandemic influenza and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Here, we describe the history and governance of MECIDS, highlighting key achievements over the consortium's seven-year history, and discuss the future of MECIDS.
%K Middle East
%K cross-border collaboration
%K foodborne disease surveillance
%K avian influenza preparedness
%K pandemic influenza
%U http://www.eht-journal.net/index.php/ehtj/article/view/19955/25767