Strengthening Health Security in the Indo-Pacific Area

As a major hub of trade and circulation, the Indo-Pacific region faces important challenges in terms of health security. Factors such as rapid demographic growth, economic development and climate change have deeply altered natural ecosystems, leading to the emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases, many of which are of animal origin (zoonotic diseases). Based on a decade of activities through the ECOMORE project, the resulting ECOMORE network will study the circulation of priority zoonotic diseases and vector-borne diseases in Southeast Asia, according to a “One Health” approach. On a larger scale, health security is aimed to be strengthened in the Indo-Pacific area as a whole thanks to a merging action of the ECOMORE network with two other public health networks covering the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean areas. 

In Southeast Asia, deforestation, intensification of industrial livestock farming, wildlife trade and the globalization of trade contribute to the emergence and spread of diseases. The impact of the climate crisis exacerbates these epidemiologic transformations: rising temperatures, as well as the multiplication of extreme meteorological events, expanding the geographical range of infectious diseases and modifying their seasonality. Because of this, we can observe a rise in the frequency of these epidemics in the past 20 years, including outbreaks of dengue fever, Zika, and chikungunya.

A better understanding of the transmission of diseases carried by animals or vectors by integrating climate data

Based on a decade of activities and collaborations, the ECOMORE network aims to reinforce preparation and regional counterattack against emerging infectious diseases, by studying the circulation of top priority diseases transmitted by animals or insects (vectors) according to a “One Health” approach. ECOMORE will mobilize innovative diagnostic methods, identify vectors and key reservoirs while integrating environmental and climatic data in order to better understand transmission dynamics of aimed pathogens.

Beyond the reinforcement of capacities and collaborations on a regional scale between partner institutes, this One Health project will produce knowledge to formulate human and animal health recommendations, by building bio-banks and multisectoral spreading databases.

This data will be crucial in providing national health authorities with relevant information on the burden and transmission dynamics of pathogens in their countries and thus facilitate a precision approach to implement targeted public health interventions over the long term.

Reinforced health security on the Indo-Pacific axis thanks to a collaboration between 3 regional public health networks

On a larger scale, the regional and intersectoral ECOMORE network not only offers a way to effectively evaluate and manage health risks, but also a unique opportunity to improve surveillance practices.

This is why the cross objective of the “Strengthening sanitary security in Indopacific region” project is to promote synergies and collaborations with two other surveillance and public health networks: the SEGA-OH (Surveillance Epidémiologique et Gestion des Alertes) network in member states and territories of the Indian Ocean Comission (COI), and ROSSP (Réseau Océanien de Surveillance de la Santé Publique) in the Pacific Community (SPC), thus covering the Indo-Pacific area as a whole.

Within each network, this program will focus on two key priorities:

1. Strengthening integrated approaches on human, animal and environmental health;
2. Setting up a framework for inter-network cooperation on epidemic preparedness and response.

In addition, synergy and collaboration between these three networks will be strengthened with the establishment of cross-functioning technical groups aiming at:

1.  Disseminating knowledge and encouraging the sharing of experiences among network stakeholders;
2. Supporting the implementation of initial operational recommendations;
3. Continuing to generate knowledge and develop tools tailored to the practices of surveillance networks.