Anticipation and response: pandemic influenza in Malawi, 2009

Sambala, Evanson Z.; Manderson, Lenore

In 2006, the MoH took over responsibility for managing, updating and evaluating all aspects of the pandemic plan [9, 10] . This new plan to prevent influenza in humans included changes in the roles, coordination and leadership of an influenza taskforce and committee as the focus changed from avian to human influenza. The national plan, confirmed in 2006, was based on existing operational structures at the national level, including health service infrastructure, health committees, surveillance networks and coordination, and command structures. In the implementation plan, for example, district hospitals were designated to manage influenza cases, rather than all cases being referred to Influenza Assessment Centres (IACs).