An International Conference that Examines the Issues of Yesterday, the Challenges of Today, and the Opportunities for Tomorrow SARS: Crisis and Opportunity of Global Public Health Summary/Background –Newly identified acute respiratory disease, Guangdong, China –WHO issues a global alert about cases of atypical pneumonia with a travel advisory –Utilized a 9 nation, 11 laboratory collaboration for basic research, unprecedented effort Identified as a new coronavirus (SARS CoV) Within 3 months identified agent with confirmation from multiple labs

An International Conference that Examines the Issues of Yesterday, the Challenges of Today, and the Opportunities for Tomorrow Summary, continued Economic costs of tens of billions – tourism, healthcare costs, 8000 cases and over 700 deaths

An International Conference that Examines the Issues of Yesterday, the Challenges of Today, and the Opportunities for Tomorrow Common Research Themes –Bench research issues Vaccine development Antiviral therapeutic development Pathogenesis/role of co-infection Role of evolution of the virus Optimal diagnostic tests –Reproducible, affordable, available Transmission issues: duration of infectiousness, decontamination issues, environmental persistance SARS: Crisis and Opportunity of Global Public Health

An International Conference that Examines the Issues of Yesterday, the Challenges of Today, and the Opportunities for Tomorrow Research, continued Public health research –Continue to develop timely, effective, accurate communications mechanisms aimed at multiple levels from front line physicians, public health workers, to lay audiences –Health care workforce preparedness Individual, Facility, Community Improve guidelines and processes of reporting (surveillance) Protocols, easy to implement Development of improved IT systems to enhance surveillance, reporting Develop innovative mechanisms for surveillance –GPHIN (Global Public Heatlh Intelligence Network)

An International Conference that Examines the Issues of Yesterday, the Challenges of Today, and the Opportunities for Tomorrow Research, continued –For the US Mechanisms to cross jurisdictional boundaries (county, local, state, federal) Address concerns raised by liability concerns, HIPAA restrictions, and other regulatory barriers

An International Conference that Examines the Issues of Yesterday, the Challenges of Today, and the Opportunities for Tomorrow Recommendations for Future Collaboration –Build upon the current environment to create a robust, transparent infrastructure for open reporting – an environment where policy decision-making is evidence based. –Evaluation and implementation of curricular change for health care professionals Inclusion of epidemiology in veterinarian training, medical training, and across breadth of public health training Interdisciplinary training to enhance cross disciplinary cooperation – medicine, public health, veterinary medicine, nursing SARS: Crisis and Opportunity of Global Public Health