Congressional Briefing - March 10, 2008

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness in Southeast Asia and the Middle East

Globe - Asia

Speaker:

Melinda Moore

Date:

Monday, March 10, 2008

Time:

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Location:

430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

About the Program

It's been forty years since the last influenza pandemic, which caused more than one million deaths. Not only is the world is overdue for another pandemic but the situation is ripe for one. A global influenza pandemic represents one of the most catastrophic threats to health, national security and economies around the world, and clearly a major challenge to the world's public health systems. Given the truly global nature of infectious diseases today, it is important for the United States to help other countries prepare for the next world-wide influenza pandemic.

RAND, which has a conducted extensive pandemic preparedness research, has been working with countries around the globe to strengthen their preparedness efforts. In Southeast Asia researchers worked with Cambodia, Yunnan (China), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, both individually and cooperatively as a region, to reveal strengths and weaknesses in their pandemic preparedness systems. In the Middle East researchers are conducting similar national and regional exercises with Jordan, Palestine, and Israel.

Dr. Melinda Moore, Senior RAND Researcher, will present findings from these first-of-their-kind studies. Issues addressed include:

  • Why the perfect pandemic influenza storm is brewing;
  • Why Asia is considered the likely epicenter for a new influenza pandemic;
  • Why the Middle East will present unique challenges in an influenza pandemic;
  • What each country and each region learned through their exercises;
  • What were the limitations in preparedness capabilities, including planning, work force, and materials; and
  • What were the challenges discovered in preparedness areas, including surveillance and information sharing, communications, disease prevention and control, response coordination within and across countries, and crisis response.

About the Speaker

Melinda Moore

Melinda Moore, M.D., M.P.H., is a public health physician and senior researcher at RAND. Since joining RAND in 2005 after 25 years with the Department of Health and Human Services, she has focused on infectious disease surveillance, pandemic influenza preparedness and military health. Dr. Moore's principal career focus has been in the area of global health, and she has worked in more than 40 countries.

RAND Office of Congressional Relations

For 60 years, RAND has provided policymakers with independent, objective research and analysis on key national security, domestic and international issues. RAND work helps members of Congress and their staffs make better-informed decisions on the nation's pressing challenges. The Office of Congressional Relations offers a number of products and services to educate, inform, and facilitate congressional policymakers' access to RAND work, including coordinating congressional testimony by RAND experts, organizing briefings and meetings, synthesizing RAND work into topical e-newsletters and providing reports and publications to congressional offices. For more information, visit the Office of Congressional Relations webpage, contact ocr@rand.org or call (703) 413-1100 x5395.

Further Inquiries

For further information about this event, contact the Office of Congressional Relations at ocr@rand.org or call (703) 413-1100 x5395.