Global Disease Detection: Guatemela

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has collaborated with public health institutions in Central America since the 1960s to address priority public health burdens of the region, from malaria to influenza. This important alliance has grown from a single focused field station in El Salvador for medical entomology and parasitology into a regional office, located in Guatemala, covering eight countries and supporting diverse public health priorities.

The Global Disease Detection Regional Center for Central America provides coverage for Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

GDD is U.S. CDC’s principal program for identifying and containing emerging infections around the world, and has been designated by WHO as a Collaborating Center for Implementation of International Health Regulations National Surveillance and Response Capacity. A central focus of GDD is the establishment and expansion of GDD Regional Centers in each WHO region.

The Center for Central America is located on the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG) campus in Guatemala City and serves eight countries in the region. Primary partners are the Ministries of Health, national laboratories, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United States Agency for International Development, UVG’s Center for Health Studies, and other multilateral organizations, nongovernmental institutions, and multiple U.S. government agencies.

Responding to Health Threats

The Center provides leadership, training, and technical assistance to strengthen regional ability to confront new emerging disease challenges, including influenza and other respiratory, diarrheal, and neurological diseases, such as meningitis and encephalitis, and febrile illnesses, including rickettsia and dengue.

“CDC is collaborating with ministries of health in Central America and Panama to strengthen the public health systems, particularly those related to disease detection, prevention, and control.” Dr. Isabella Danel, Director CDC Regional Office for Central America and Panama

Building Disease Detection and Response Capacity

Using the revised International Health Regulations (2005) as an organizing framework, the Center helps develop regional ability to detect and contain outbreaks at their source – building up local resources with combined expertise in:

Emerging infectious disease detection and response
Field epidemiology and laboratory training
Pandemic influenza preparedness and response
Laboratory systems and biosafety
Zoonotic disease research and control
Health communications and information technology

Connecting Resources

The Center helps regional networks minimize economic and other consequences caused by outbreaks. For instance, cases of foodborne illness in the United States have been associated with commercially available fruits from Central America – with implications for health and trade. In response, the Center strengthens the Central American Network for Foodborne Surveillance through specialized training in epidemiology, surveillance, and laboratory testing aimed at reducing the region’s high incidence of diarrhea, improving food safety, and enhancing trade.

Making a Regional Impact

Geographic Information Systems and training prepare first responders for emergencies and help the region better anticipate, contain, and prevent outbreaks.

From 2006-2009, the Center for Central America has supported:

Effective response to 93 outbreaks in 10 countries
Ongoing disease surveillance activities covering the entire region for select conditions and diseases
Detection of four pathogens new to countries within the region
Establishment of laboratory diagnostic testing capacity for 27 pathogens
Expanded capacity for 2009 H1N1 influenza testing throughout Central America leaving long-term capacity in place
Graduation of 35 future global health leaders from eight countries as part of the two-year Field Epidemiology Training Program
Training of 12,164 public health officials from eight countries in short-term public health exercises, including epidemiology and laboratory, pandemic preparedness, rapid response and communication

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