Report: Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) Regional Partners Meeting

The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) is a network of more than 250 technical institutions and networks globally that respond to acute public health events with the deployment of staff and resources to affected countries, coordinated by World Health Organization (WHO). Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) has been GOARN partner since 2020. Through this collaboration, HITAP and the National University of Singapore (NUS) conducted a study on assessing the trade-offs in efficiency and equity of contact tracing for COVID-19, using a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). As part of this initiative, a framework was developed for contact tracing that can be applied to LMICs in both Asia and Africa. Since then, HITAP has engaged in the ‘Strengthening public health surveillance and risk assessment for health security threats in WHO South-East Asia Region’ meeting which was held in Bangkok, Thailand between 27 to 29 September 2022.

Ms. Kanchanok Sirison and Ms. Annapoorna Prakash, Project Associates from the HITAP International Unit (HIU), HITAP, attended this meeting which was held in Kathmandu, Nepal between 15-16 March 2023. This report provides an overview of the South-East Asia Regional GOARN. The meeting was organized by the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi. The supporting information is provided in the Appendices.