One Health Networks for Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness in Central and South America

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 2019 pandemic prompted the emergence of collaborative initiatives within South America and the Caribbean, to tackle common challenges. Many initiatives included local government, international entities, military, academia, and research institutions, united to face the challenges brought by the pandemic. Some collaborations were new, but most were built on top of existing networks developed to prevent and control challenges like zoonotic diseases. In the last 40 years, the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) SOUTH has helped ensure the readiness and health of U.S. service members, Peruvian partners, and civilian population through research, surveillance, and global health, covering One Health interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health to address zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and vector-borne diseases. This article puts together the different communications, data sharing, and initiatives developed throughout South America towards One Health surveillance, focusing on zoonotic pathogens, and to describe the best practices for these networks.

Keywords: Americas; Caribbean; One Health; global health; infectious diseases.