Contents

10th Anniversary

• Already 10 years – or only 10 years?
  Tom Kiedrzynski (HTML, 11 KB)
• PPHSN: a model for a faraway ocean!
  Yvan Souarès (HTML, 11 KB)
• A decade of development – a perspective from a distance
  Mahomed Said Patel (HTML, 10 KB)
• Milestones of PPHSN development (HTML, 10 KB)

Surveillance & Response

• Provisional findings of dengue epidemiological surveillance in French Polynesia 2006
  Axel Wiegandt, Stéphane Lastère, Claire Hirschauer, Stéphane Loncke (PDF, 118 KB)

PPHSN News

• National Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plans: A reflection of the preparedness status of PICTs for the threat of an influenza pandemic
  Seini Kupu (PDF, 88 KB)
• More on PRIPPP
  Radha Etheridge (PDF, 79 KB)
• Pacific Global Salmonella Surveillance (GSS) training course
  Narendra Singh (PDF, 85 KB)
• Health Metrics Network – Pacific launch
  Justus Benzler (PDF, 85 KB)

In Brief

• New PPHSN publications (HTML, 13 KB)

Editorial

PPHSN 10th anniversary

Ten years ago, at the Pacific Islands Meeting on Public Health Surveillance held at SPC headquarters in Noumea from 11 to 14 December 1996, PPHSN was created. It was brought into reality after a year of preparatory work from a group of health professionals, the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Working Group (PacPHSWG), that had been established in December 1995 at the Interagency Meeting on Health Information Requirements in the South Pacific.

For this special issue of Inform’ACTION, which marks the 10th anniversary of the network, we feature testimonies and points of view on PPHSN’s development from two members of PacPHSWG, Yvan Souarès and Mahomed Said Patel. Tom Kiedrzynski also contributes a special article for the occasion and Seini Kupu has included a remarkable note in her article on pandemic influenza preparedness in PICTs.

In the past 10 years, with the continued support and participation of all of you – the members and partners of the network from PICT departments of health, laboratories, international and regional organisations, training institutions and aid donors – a number of major events and activities have been achieved. A list of milestones of PPHSN development is included in this bulletin. Well done, PPHSN members and partners!

We hope the testimonies and information will be food for thought, and would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join us in our next publication project – a second monograph, which will review PPHSN accomplishments and services and provide ideas and proposals for the future directions of the network. More information on this project is included in the ‘PPHSN News’ section.

As usual, information on the recent activities and projects of PPHSN is included in the second part of the bulletin, together with a complete report on dengue epidemiological surveillance activities in French Polynesia by Axel Wiegandt, Stéphane Lastère, Claire Hirschaue and Stéphane Loncke.

A progress report on the Pacific Regional Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Project (PRIPPP), including a summary of the status of PICT national pandemic influenza preparedness plans, is given by Seini Kupu, followed by a note from Radha Etheridge.

Two months ago, in October 2006, the first-ever Pacific Global Salmonella Surveillance Training Course was held in Fiji. A summary of the training proceedings is related by Narendra Singh.

Finally, a global initiative that has recently extended its activities to the Pacific, the Health Metrics Network, is described by Justus Benzler.

Thank for your support and contributions, and best wishes to you all for 2007.

Christelle Lepers
SPC Surveillance Information Officer