TDR has been working with countries and researchers to strengthen and implement robust surveillance systems that can alert country control programmes to impending disease outbreaks. This has included the development of an Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) for outbreaks of arboviral diseases. Several countries are now testing and customizing this system to apply to dengue, Zika and chikungunya.

TDR’s “Operational Guide: The Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) for Dengue Outbreaks”, updated in 2018 and revised again for publication in 2020, has been disseminated through in-country training workshops in Colombia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as through TDR expert meetings.

A major development has been the successful incorporation of EWARS into the national surveillance platform in Mexico. Colombia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand have also begun piloting EWARS as they plan to integrate it into their national surveillance systems. Pan American Health Organization has translated the EWARS guide into Spanish, which will enhance its use in Latin America. EWARS will also be tested for outbreak prediction of yellow fever, malaria, cholera and other infectious diseases.

This project is being conducted in collaboration with the WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases and the WHO Department of Infectious Hazard Management. New collaborations are being built with the WHO Global Programme on Climate Change and Health; the WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health; and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). A joint action plan is currently being developed with all partners.