This application to the Global Infectious Disease Training Program seeks to strengthen the epidemiologic research capacity for planning and response to emerging influenza outbreaks in Thailand. The detection of human cases of avian influenza in 2004 initiated concern both in Thailand and internationally that a new pandemic of influenza was about to begin. The depth of knowledge that has been gained over the last year about this emerging disease is illustrative of the strength of the research capabilities of Thai epidemiologists. However, the avian influenza experience has demonstrated the need to expand the number of scientists in Thailand with training in infectious disease epidemiology. Additionally, the scope of training required of epidemiologists to meet this new challenge exceeds existing training programs. Prevention of epidemics of newly emergent strains of influenza require national and international response. Epidemiologists must provide scientific input to planning and response in real-time. The proposed training would focus on methodologies that provide the most information to decision-makers during an incipient outbreak. Over the past several years, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) of Thailand and faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have formed strong links on a variety of research projects on infectious diseases. Currently, investigators on this proposal are engaged in NIH (NIGMS) funded research to develop computational simulations of the spread of a novel variant of influenza in the Thai population should one emerge. Computational simulation provides an invaluable tool for conducting """"""""epidemiology in silicon"""""""" to evaluate control measures such as the use of vaccines, antivirals, quarantine before an actual event. Functioning simulations could also provide real-time information on the course of epidemics and in evaluating changing requirements for control measures. The proposed training will develop the capacity for Thai epidemiologists to utilize new theoretical and computational tools in concert with traditional epidemiological approaches. The number of trainees proposed includes two MPH (each one year long) trainees at Johns Hopkins, 25 long-term in country trainees at the MOPH through the Field Epidemiology Training Program, and at least 50 short-term trainees through distance education and short-term in-country workshops.
| Jongcherdchootrakul, Kanlaya; Henderson, Alden K; Iamsirithaworn, Sopon et al. (2014) First pandemic A (H1N1) pdm09 outbreak in a private school, Bangkok, Thailand, June 2009. J Med Assoc Thai 97 Suppl 2:S145-52 |
