Thread by @WHO

Happy 70th anniversary, GISRS! The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System is celebrating 70 years as a global public health collaboration founded to protect people from the threat of #influenza

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#Influenza is a serious global health problem that impacts all countries: every year, there are an estimated 1 billion cases of seasonal influenza causing 3 to 5 million severe cases incl. up to 650,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths globally.
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The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System continuously monitors #influenza & other respiratory viruses of public health significance, incl. SARS-CoV2. GISRS is a critical resource for #COVID19 disease surveillance, sequencing & testing.

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When the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System was first setup in 1952, only 25 countries had some #influenza surveillance. Today, 127+ countries, areas & territories contribute to GISRS to protect communities and prevent seasonal, zoonotic & pandemic influenza.

At 70, the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System is growing to GISRS+; WHO is developing a roadmap to enhance GISRS for integrated surveillance and response systems for #influenza and other viruses of epidemic or pandemic potential.

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