1 April 2019 - The Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework Partnership Contribution (PC) is a benefit-sharing mechanism that aims to strengthen global and national preparedness for an influenza pandemic. It is funded by industry partners that use the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). In 2014-2017, US$ 56 million was spent to strengthen country, regional and global capacities in five areas of work as outlined in the first High Level Implementation Plan (HLIP I).

In 2018, WHO started implementation of the 6-year HLIP II. For the first year of implementation, US$ 16 million were allocated to six areas of work: laboratory and surveillance, burden of disease, regulatory capacity-building, risk communications and community engagement, planning for pandemic product deployment, and influenza pandemic preparedness planning. The 2018 PIP Annual Progress Report was recently published to showcase the public health gains which were made collaboratively with other investments.

Key national achievements include the following:

• After strengthening diagnostic testing and laboratory quality management systems, Armenia’s influenza laboratory was formally recognized as a National Influenza Centre (NIC) in 2018. GISRS now has a network that includes 145 NICs in 115 countries that facilitate global influenza monitoring and public health risk management.
• In 2018, 11 countries reported to WHO’s epidemiological influenza surveillance platform ‘FluID’ for the first time. This brings the total number of countries reporting on this global platform to 119. This increases the coverage of WHO’s global influenza situation monitoring and risk assessment.
• In 2018, 108 countries made 268 shipments of influenza viruses and specimens to WHO collaborating centres. This represents double the number of shipments made in 2014 when PC was first used to strengthen virus sharing capacities.
• In 2018, 14 countries published their influenza burden of disease estimates, bringing the total to 35 countries. This highlights the global momentum to better understand the morbidity, mortality and economic impact of influenza.
• The United Republic of Tanzania’s National Regulatory Authority (NRA) reached maturity level 3 on all three PC-supported regulatory capacities (regulatory system, marketing authorization and pharmacovigilance) based on WHO’s benchmarking assessment. The NRA now has the expertise and skills to evaluate medical products which will be critical at the time of a pandemic.
• Of the 40 countries supported to strengthen influenza pandemic planning, 21 have either written, exercised or are in the process of developing their plans. Plans strengthen country operational readiness and catalyze stakeholder commitment and coordination.

More information:

• Download the 2018 PIP Annual Progress Report.
• Read more stories related to the PIP Partnership Contribution.