The 7th ANISE meeting 2023

This grant is intended to support the 7th meeting of the ANISE (African Network for Influenza Surveillance and Epidemiology) network, which will be the first ANISE gathering of influenza and respiratory disease-focused experts in the continent of Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic. The African Network for Influenza Surveillance and Epidemiology (ANISE) is a network of laboratorians, epidemiologists, public health officials, clinicians, veterinarians, researchers, and policy makers who work together to strengthen the capacity for surveillance and research related to influenza and other respiratory viruses in Africa. This will be an opportunity for these experts to share their experiences since 2018 and lessons learned which can be applied to both preparedness for seasonal influenza and respiratory disease pandemics. The meeting will cover a variety of topics including disease burden, cost burden, economic impact of vaccines, influenza and vaccine policy, epidemiology, virology, and preparedness. There will also be several workshops offered on topics such as genomic surveillance and annual influenza season severity assessment. This will be an important forum to discuss the future direction of respiratory disease prevention, control and preparedness.This grant would fund conference activities such as a poster presentation session (venue hire, prizes) and travel grants for youth researchers.