Some of the representatives present during the Planning Workshop on Asean +3 Partnership Laboratories, held at The Rizqun International Hotel, Gadong yesterday. Picture: BT/Saifulizam
BRUNEI has benefited greatly from participation in the Asean Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) programme and Asean Plus Three Partnership Laboratories (APL) network in strengthening the nation’s laboratory services through capacity building areas such as the detection of emerging viruses.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Datin Paduka Dr Hjh Intan Hj Salleh, said this yesterday during the first day of a two-day planning workshop on APL at the Rizqun International Hotel.
She added that Brunei has improved its laboratory services in areas of detection of viruses such as Avian Influenza A H5N1 and Influenza A H1N1, quality assurance, laboratory-based surveillance data management, transfer of reagents and human resource development.
Present during the workshop were representatives of the Asean member states, China, Japan, Korea, the Asean Secretariat and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Coordinated by the Asean Secretariat, the APL falls under the Asean Plus Three Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) programme which focuses on the prevention and control of communicable diseases, preparedness and response.
Head of the virology laboratory in Brunei, Dr Hj Osmali Hj Osman, told The Brunei Times that the APL is a partnership between laboratories of 13 countries, which enables sharing of information and expertise. “For example, if there is an outbreak of a disease in one of the member countries, they will look for trends and warn the other countries,” he said.
“Brunei is small so a lot of the expertise comes from bigger countries. What we offer is surveillance data to APL,” Dr Hj Osmali added.
Attending the workshop are members of the Asean Plus Three National Laboratory Contact Point, representing ministries of health and agriculture and veterinary health services of the Asean Plus Three countries.
Under the Asean Plus Three EID programme, a workshop was held in Malaysia in 2008 during which the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) were drafted regarding 13 specific pathogens.
During the first regional meeting of APL in Singapore last year, they adopted the Terms of Reference (TOR) for APL and agreed to develop a workplan. Yesterday’s workshop was aimed at developing this workplan to put into operation the TOR and SOPs that have been drafted.
“The (TOR) of the APL, identification of the APLs for the network, the SOPs on the laboratory surveillance of the 13 pathogens in the region have set the foundation for the APL… But we have recognised the need for developing a workplan to sustain the APL, with clear, doable and practical working arrangements to allow the member states to build their capacities, share information and resource,” said Asean Secretariat representative Dr Luningning Villa.
APL was initiated in 2003 and was conceptualised the following year. It was established under its current name in 2005 under the Asean Plus Three EID programme.
“Our experience from the Severely Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 and the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreaks in 2004 highlighted the need for an integrated regional approach to emerging infectious diseases,” said Datin Dr Hjh Intan.
The workshop was chaired by Director of Laboratory Services Dr Hjh Jaliha Hj Md Yusof and co-chaired by Dr Chua Kaw Bing from the National Public Health Laboratory in Malaysia.
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