Recognition System (EWORS) developed by

outreach to host nation partners.  Several of the greatest

NAMRU 2 and the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

success stories have been the ongoing 10 day courses

Surveillance findings from the overseas labs have

on the conduct of outbreak investigations that

changed therapeutic policies and practices in several

NAMRU 2 has been offering in Southeast Asia and

areas of the world.  Skills for performing surveillance

NMRCD's training of host nation personnel to conduct

of drug resistant malaria are being actively shared with

in vivo antimalarial drug resistance studies.  Another

partner countries.  A number of new agents have been

highlight of FY 2001 was that with strong support

recognized and are being further defined.  Some of the

from Southern Command's Humanitarian Assistance

changes in treatment policy resulting from surveillance

Program, DoD GEIS was also able to establish three

on malaria and other febrile diseases probably are

pilot regions in Peru for a laboratory based surveil 

saving lives.  The overseas laboratories, with CINC

lance initiative. Like a similar SOUTHCOM funded

support, have been providing training opportunities for

GEIS initiative in the Caribbean, this training project

local scientists and public health technicians and have

has been focused on the creation of computerized

been providing key regional leadership.

networks for hierarchical reporting.  The backbone

of the effort is the CDC developed Public Health

 Enhance biomedical and behavioral research

Laboratory Information System (PHLIS) software.

efforts on emerging infectious diseases. 

 Encourage other nations and international

Although the primary DoD GEIS mandate is not

organizations to assign higher priority to emerging

research, DoD GEIS has facilitated the research

infectious diseases. 

agendas of the Military Infectious Disease Research

Program and other partners.  In many cases this is

 Support the WHO and other bodies in playing a

from the added value of a steady stream of surveil 

stronger role in the surveillance, prevention, and

lance specimens for use in the evaluation of diagnostics.

response to emerging infectious diseases. 

In other cases, surveillance data, such as that for anti 

malaria drug resistance, helps guide the malaria drug

As noted by the IOM, DoD GEIS continues to be a

development program.  A particular research emphasis

unique asset of the U.S. government in advancing the

of DoD GEIS has been the development of innovative

response to emerging infections around the world.

methods for surveillance such as ESSENCE, EWORS,

Government to government public health surveillance

and the joint DoD GEIS/NASA Rift Valley Fever

collaborations are taking place in more than 30 countries

predictive model based on information from satellite

throughout the world.  Elements of DoD GEIS work

remote sensing.

closely with the World Health Organization and many

of its regional offices.  DoD GEIS has been a regular

 Expand formal training and outreach to health

supporter of the U.S. government's efforts under the

care providers 

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and helped craft

documents that led in November 2000 to the APEC

A major focus of DoD GEIS during FY 2001 was

Summit's Leaders Declaration on emerging infections.

training.  The IOM evaluation of DoD GEIS strongly

recommended this emphasis as a way to build up

A notable step forward in supporting the DoD GEIS

much needed local capacity and also expand DoD's

mission globally was the placement this fiscal year

own internal resources.  All five tropical overseas

of a U.S. Navy preventive medicine officer in the

medical research units supported various training

Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response

initiatives.  These included not only laboratory and

directorate at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva.

epidemiology training for internal staff but also

With partial programmatic funding from DoD GEIS,

4