Global Influenza Programme
We provide Member States with strategic guidance, technical support and coordination of activities essential to make their health systems better prepared against seasonal, zoonotic and pandemic influenza threats to populations and individuals.
About

Tool for Influenza Pandemic Risk Assessment (TIPRA)

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) Tool for Influenza Pandemic Risk Assessment (TIPRA) is a tool that is used to assess the risk of influenza A viruses with pandemic potential to acquire the ability of sustained human-to-human transmission, and the impact if such viruses to cause a pandemic. Advance planning and preparedness help mitigate the impact of future pandemics. Risk assessment is essential for guiding and justifying public health preparedness, response, and recovery actions.

TIPRA objectives are to:

  • Support timely and updatable hazard risk assessment for influenza viruses with pandemic potential;
  • Transparently document the characteristics of the viruses and the infections they cause that might pose threats to human populations;

The launch of TIPRA 1st edition was in 2016, following several technical experts’ consultation meetings and pilot testing. Second edition of TIPRA was published in 2020, is based on TEs feedback during 2016-2019 use of the tool and a consultation process in 2019. Further details on both editions and the risk assessment process are explained in the TIPRA guidance.

 

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  • Identify knowledge gaps and encourage further investigations, including research and surveillance; and
  • Facilitate information sharing among scientists, policy-makers, and other stakeholders.

TIPRA risk assessments

  • General disclaimer: The Tool for Influenza Pandemic Risk Assessment (TIPRA) provides a systematic and standardized method to assess the risk of influenza viruses with pandemic potential. The WHO Global Influenza Programme facilitates the risk assessment exercises, using TIPRA, conducted by experts from the WHO Collaborating Centers and H5 Reference Laboratories of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (FAO-WOAH) Global Network of Expertise on Animal Influenzas (OFFLU) Reference Laboratories, FAO, WOAH, and other partners and research institutions. The information presented in the risk assessment reports reflects the views and findings of the experts who participated in the TIPRA risk assessment exercise. It does not necessarily represent the decisions or the policies of WHO and does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WHO concerning the overall public health risk of future pandemic viruses. The information presented in the TIPRA risk assessment summaries may be used, as appropriate, to compare the relative pandemic risk of different influenza viruses, identify gaps in knowledge, and support broader pandemic preparedness planning.
  • TIPRA is not a tool for predicting the subtypes of zoonotic influenza A viruses that will cause the next pandemic. The risk characterization performed using TIPRA should be interpreted with caution.
  • More details can be found in scientific articles published on TIPRA, and the links to such articles will be shown on TIPRA Webpage.
  • For details on how a TIPRA exercise is performed, please refer to the TIPRA guidance document.

    • Summaries of TIPRA risk assessment exercises