WHO facilitates interaction among National Influenza Centres (NICs) in the South-East Asia Region, WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs) for Reference and Research on Influenza, and WHO’s Global Influenza Programme through a regional webinar

The WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) organized a regional webinar to strengthen collaboration between National Influenza Centres (NICs) in Member States of the South-East Asia Region and the WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs) for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Australia and the Influenza Virus Research Centre at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) in Tokyo, Japan. These two WHO CCs are key institutions within the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) network.

Opening the webinar, Dr. Nilesh Buddha, Acting Regional Emergencies Director, emphasized the importance of collaborations of this nature for strengthening regional health security. He highlighted the value of building strong partnerships and promoting knowledge-sharing initiatives, which together contribute to collective efforts to enhance preparedness and response to influenza and other emerging health threats.

Dr. Pushpa Wijesinghe, Programme Area Manager (IHM, SEARO), highlighted that WHO SEARO actively supports its Member States in implementing the Global Influenza Strategy (2019–2030), endorsed by the World Health Assembly. One of the key objectives of this global strategy is to strengthen national influenza surveillance systems for the early detection of seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses. This enables Member States to effectively monitor influenza trends and contribute to global preparedness and response efforts to influenza epidemics and pandemics, in alignment with the all-hazards approach outlined in the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

Mr. Mohamed Haytham, Technical Officer-Influenza Networks (IHM, SEARO) in his presentation, reflected on the rich history and evolution of National Influenza Centres (NICs) in the WHO South-East Asia Region. He outlined WHO SEARO’s vision, articulated in 2024, following the formal recognition of all NICs in the Region by WHO. The vision focuses on sustaining the quality and capacity of these NICs as fully-fledged members of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), particularly in the context of GISRS's ongoing transformation into an expanded platform for testing multiple respiratory pathogens.

Dr. Sergejs Nikisins, from the Global Influenza Programme at WHO Headquarters, provided an insightful overview of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), outlining its structure, functions, and contributions to global health security. His presentation highlighted how GISRS supports early virus detection, risk assessment, and vaccine development through a collaborative network of National Influenza Centres (NICs), WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs), and other key stakeholders.

Representing the WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs), Dr. Patrick Reading, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne, provided an overview of the Centre’s activities, highlighting its role in advancing virus characterization through cutting-edge technologies. He emphasized the support available to National Influenza Centres (NICs), including technical expertise, training, and resources to strengthen their capacity for influenza surveillance and response. His presentation underscored the importance of collaboration in enhancing both regional and global pandemic influenza preparedness efforts.

Dr. Hideki Hasegawa, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Tokyo, Japan, delivered a presentation on the journey of samples shared by National Influenza Centres (NICs) and their critical role in monitoring influenza virus evolution. He emphasized the importance of virus sharing in constructing phylogenetic trees, which are essential for tracking viral circulation and identifying emerging strains. Dr. Hasegawa also highlighted the Centre’s commitment to supporting NICs by strengthening their capacity and expertise for effective influenza surveillance and response.

The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, India—a major virology research institute in the WHO South-East Asia Region and part of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)—serves as the National Influenza Centre (NIC) in India. During the webinar, NIV shared their best practices in fulfilling the Terms of Reference for a National Influenza Centre. Dr. Naveen Kumar, Director of ICMR-NIV, provided an overview of the institute, followed by Dr. Varsha Potdar, Director of the NIC, India, who presented the NIC’s journey. She highlighted key activities undertaken, capacity-building efforts, and the implementation of quality management systems that support sustained excellence in laboratory assisted influenza surveillance.

In the closing session, key action points were outlined to sustain collaboration and strengthen NIC operations:

• Conduct quarterly webinars to enhance collaboration between National Influenza Centres (NICs) in WHO South-East Asia Region Member States and WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza, fostering technical discussions and knowledge sharing.
• Support NICs in the South-East Asia Region in virus sharing and participation in the External Quality Assessment Programme (EQAP).
• Undertake joint national and international assessments to sustain quality and performance of NICs, beginning with an assessment in Myanmar in June.

In conclusion of the webinar, appreciation was extended to all participants, including NIC Directors, WHO Collaborating Centre representatives, and colleagues from all three levels of WHO. It was highlighted that the comments and suggestions made during the webinar will continue to guide efforts to strengthen influenza surveillance, enhance data-sharing mechanisms, and improve regional epidemic and pandemic preparedness for influenza and other respiratory pathogens.