Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System

In addition to the influenza pandemics of 1957, 1968 and 2009, GISRS has coordinated the world’s response to episodic human cases of infection with the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus since 1997, the first outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012 in some countries.

History

In 1947, the WHO Interim Committee of the United Nations agreed to begin a Global Influenza Programme (GIP) for the study and control of influenza. A major outbreak of influenza in Europe was an immediate concern, as well as the identification of appropriate viruses for a vaccine against the virus strains which might be circulating. The establishment of regional influenza centers began in 1948. Five years after the creation of GIP, the Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN) was established in response to a need for an influenza surveillance system to inform the methods for disease prevention and control. GISN would later be renamed Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), evolving as an integrated scientific and technical global collaboration to fulfil the objectives and activities of GIP. GISRS gained momentum between the 1957 and 1968 pandemics. The growing network of national influenza centers focused on understanding disease activity and characteristics of influenza viruses globally. Through these efforts, the realization that the viruses were not only present in tropical countries but might circulate for much of the year was confirmed.