As more countries in the Asia-Pacific region grapple with outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) impacting animals, with the potential for spillover to humans, countries are being urged to ensure their health systems are prepared to swiftly detect and respond to this zoonotic threat.
This week, over 150 influenza experts, laboratory scientists and public health officials concluded the 19th Biregional Meeting of National Influenza Centres and Influenza Surveillance co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for South-East Asia and Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
The three-day online gathering from 25 to 27 August 2026 examined how surveillance data can be turned into faster, more effective public health decisions, including in response to the ongoing spread of HPAI A(H5N1) in birds in the Pacific.
The meeting brought together influenza programmes, national influenza laboratories, WHO collaborating centres and H5 reference laboratories to craft a common approach to influenza and respiratory virus surveillance, in line with the Global Influenza Strategy (2019–2030) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework.
Spotlight on A(H5N1) in the Pacific
A central highlight of this year’s meeting was a dedicated session on One Health coordination mechanisms, featuring case studies on the region’s response to the incursions of HPAI A(H5N1) in Australia and New Zealand and its threat to the wider Pacific region. One Health underscores the interconnectedness of animal, human and environmental health, bringing multiple sectors together to strengthen health emergency preparedness and response, including pandemic preparedness.
Australia presented on its national responses following the recent incursion of the virus in bird populations, as well as preparedness measures taken in the Pacific in anticipation of further spread. Bangladesh offered a country perspective on how One Health coordination connects human, animal and laboratory surveillance to support early detection, information-sharing and joint investigation of zoonotic influenza signals.
In response to the threat posed by HPAI A(H5N1), WHO convened regional partners and multisectoral experts including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Pacific Community (SPC) and national public health, animal and wildlife experts to develop a Rapid Joint One Health Risk Assessment (JRA). The JRA determines the risk of incursion of HPAI A(H5N1) into Pacific island countries and areas to identify key preparedness activities and ensure national readiness to respond.
“Although influenza surveillance is one of the world’s oldest and most mature disease surveillance systems, the recent HPAI A(H5N1) arrival in Australia and New Zealand is a sharp reminder that vigilance cannot lapse,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “Effective One Health coordination - linking human, animal and environmental health authorities - is essential to detecting, characterizing and acting on zoonotic threats quickly enough to protect both public health and livelihoods.”
From data to decisions
Beyond the A(H5N1) case studies, participants reviewed the state of seasonal and zoonotic influenza across the two regions, with country presentations ranging from Cambodia’s reflections on two decades of surveillance experience to Papua New Guinea’s rollout of an integrated respiratory disease surveillance system.
Nepal highlighted how the application of the Zoonotic Influenza Distribution Assessment and Ranking (ZIDAR) system can support the development of comprehensive One Health surveillance and help countries prioritize targeted interventions. India demonstrated how integrating influenza surveillance into the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) platform provides near-real-time data for rapid analysis and visualization of influenza trends, supporting timely outbreak detection and response.
Sessions also introduced practical tools to help countries convert surveillance data into action, including updates on the Pandemic Influenza Severity Assessment (PISA) framework, burden-of-disease studies, and WHO’s Public Health and Social Measures (PHSM) Decision Navigator tool, which will soon include an influenza-specific module.
A network built on solidarity
The meeting marked a milestone for the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), which approaches its 75th anniversary in 2027. Participants welcomed a new WHO Collaborating Centre for Quality and Capacity Development with GISRS - the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch of the Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, in Hong Kong SAR (China). They also congratulated Brunei Darussalam on the designation of its new National Influenza Centre, demonstrating that the network is continuing to grow and strengthen.
“Our strength is in our network - in sharing expertise, information and capacities, and in supporting one another to be better prepared for the threats ahead,” said Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer in Charge for the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. “Where expertise exists in one country, we should facilitate its transfer and application across the region; where specialized capacities are available, we should strengthen pathways for countries to access them.”
Dr Buddha also stressed the importance of coordinated investments, resource mobilization and strategic prioritization at a time when resources are increasingly constrained. He called for greater collaboration to make optimal use of existing capacities, maximize impact and avoid duplication.
In her closing remarks at the meeting, Dr Gina Samaan, the WHO Regional Emergency Director for the Western Pacific, called on participants to carry the ideas, contacts and tools discussed over the three days back to their national teams, and to continue working in solidarity on the timely sharing of influenza viruses and data, accurate virus characterization, and strengthened genomic sequencing capacity. She assured participants that WHO would continue to offer technical guidance and capacity-building support to Member States.
“Surveillance data only matter when they change what public health systems do,” she said. “Information that sits in a spreadsheet protect no one, while information that reaches a decision-maker at the right moment saves lives.”
The 19th Biregional Meeting of National Influenza Centres and Influenza Surveillance reaffirmed that as influenza A(H5N1) continues to test animal and human health systems, the strength of this surveillance network - and the countries and institutions that sustain it - remains one of the region’s most important lines of defence.
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For more information, please contact:
WHO South-East Asia Communications, SEMediaRelations@who.int
WHO Western Pacific Communications, wprocom@who.int