AfriFlu Conference Brings Together International Specialists on Influenza in Africa

Marrakech, Morocco, June 2, 2010 – The Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP) convened key African and international influenza experts this week (June 1-2, 2010) for the first edition of “AfriFlu,” an international conference on influenza in Africa.

The recent threat of pandemic influenza underscored the need for timely surveillance data worldwide. In spite of recent progress in the surveillance of influenza in Africa, data describing the seasonality and epidemiology of the disease remain scarce. This is due in part to the lack of adequate surveillance systems and reporting mechanisms. A better understanding of influenza in Africa would facilitate the development of country-specific prevention measures and vaccine policies. It is thus essential to strengthen surveillance capacity throughout the continent.

AfriFlu aimed to enhance information exchange on influenza epidemiology and surveillance; to strengthen collaboration between established national disease reporting systems; to identify needs for improved understanding of influenza disease burden; to evaluate current capacity for developing vaccine programs in specific regions; and to develop recommendations for encouraging research and reinforcing cooperation on influenza in Africa.

The two-day conference brought together nearly 100 participants from around the world, including 22 African countries (Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cape Verde, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda). Included among the participants and presenters were experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the West African Health Organization (WAHO), the Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), the European Commission, the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), and AMP.

Professor Peter Ndumbe, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon, and chair of the AfriFlu scientific committee, presided over the conference. It included plenary sessions, a panel discussion, round tables, and workshops. Participants shared case studies on influenza in various countries (Morocco, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire), presented data on influenza epidemiology and disease burden, identified problems and obstacles, and proposed recommendations. A conference report will be published in the near future.

“AfriFlu was a unique opportunity for surveillance and influenza professionals from over 20 African countries and main international stakeholders to meet and discuss the public health impact of flu in Africa and options to control it,” said Dr. Brad Gessner, AMP scientific director. “The quality of the interventions and discussions demonstrated the high level of interest and motivation of public health actors to tackle the specific challenges of influenza on the African continent. It also paved the way for a successful first meeting of the newly created WHO Africa Flu Alliance,” added Alfred da Silva, AMP executive director.

The organization of scientific meetings has been part of the AMP mission since 1974.

AfriFlu was made possible by an unrestricted grant from Sanofi Pasteur.