The Global One Health initiative (GOHi) collaborated with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) to train 26 health professionals from severe acute respiratory infections (SARI)/influenza-like illness (ILI) sites and influenza testing laboratories on specimen management, biosafety and biosecurity for three days.

The training aimed to improve specimen collection, storage and packaging and the referral system for testing respiratory infections, including influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytia Viruses (RSV).

Participants learned about four modules: influenza surveillance in a global and local context and objectives of influenza surveillance, Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System and Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response and organization of ILI/SARI surveillance in Ethiopia; Biosafety in Respiratory Specimen Collection and Handling; Respiratory Specimen Collection; and ILI/SARI Specimen Referral System.