Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza: Addressing the Need for Integration between Health and Agriculture in the Preparedness Plans in Latin America

The recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza have once again brought the issue of the impact of animal diseases on humans to the forefront of the global health agenda. The need for integration between health and agriculture was never more important than now. The objective of this document is to review if this integration exists in countries of the Americas, and in particular if and how it is reflected in the preparedness plans against avian and human pandemic influenza. In this document, the authors present a review of the link between animal and human health and characteristics of the latest threat, Avian Influenza. They also define intersectoral action, measures that are reflected in the subsequent analysis, by subregion, of the intersectoral integration. Their diagnosis then leads us to a series of recommendations on how to improve intersectoral action in the context of Avian Influenza, but with a broader impact on the prevention and control of all zoonotic diseases.