The Severe Acute Respiratory Infections network (SARInet) is a regional collaboration of professionals from hospitals, laboratories, health organizations, and other institutions from Member States of the Americas dedicated to SARI pandemic preparedness, surveillance and response. It is coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and celebrated its 10th anniversary in May 2024. Over the past decade, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework funds have been crucial in supporting SARInet.
Before 2014, an informal network of laboratory surveillance existed in the Americas, including around 30 countries conducting influenza-like illness (ILI) and SARI sentinel surveillance, with more than 900 sentinel centers, 28 national influenza centres, and six national laboratories. However, there was no regional mechanism for sharing information and best practices between these countries. The inaugural SARInet meeting in Panama on 30 May 2014 aimed to integrate laboratories and link epidemiologists to improve surveillance. Over time, this expanded to include health service systems, clinicians and operations research specialists.
The network was operationalized through working groups focused on pandemic preparedness, disease burden, genomic surveillance, clinical management and vaccine effectiveness. These efforts, which were made possible with PIP funds and support from other donors, led to the publication of protocols and guidelines. With the emergence of COVID-19, SARInet demonstrated its rapid response capacity by integrating SARS-CoV-2 into existing influenza surveillance systems.
On the laboratory side, SARInet relied on the experience of the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) network, integrating and implementing best practices. The network covers clinical management, essential for decision-making at the ministerial level, and pandemic preparedness, updating national plans and testing them through simulation exercises. Additionally, the human-animal interface was incorporated, and an intersectoral commission for the prevention and control of avian influenza in the Americas was established to work with key actors in animal and environmental health.
PIP funds have been instrumental in transforming SARInet into a robust, collaborative framework that integrates a wide range of professionals and institutions. This transformation was made possible through the organization of webinars, workshops and regional meetings, facilitating the identification of common problems and the exchange of potential solutions. PIP funds also allowed for countries to strengthen their capacities through the hiring of national consultants and conducting technical cooperation missions by the PAHO/WHO regional team. Moving forward, PAHO/WHO's strategic focus on communication, knowledge management and capacity building promises to further strengthen SARInet, ensuring it remains an essential resource for public health pandemic preparedness, readiness and response in the Americas.
The PIP Framework will continue to support PAHO/WHO's strategic focus through the new Partnership Contribution High-Level Implementation Plan III 2024-2030. This plan will enhance ongoing efforts in pandemic preparedness and response. By leveraging these funds, PAHO aims to foster greater resilience and readiness for future respiratory threats, building on the successful framework established by SARInet and its collaborative network of professionals and institutions.