GIHSN | Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network

The GIHSN is a network of sentinel hospitals identifying and characterizing acute respiratory infection cases in a systematic way and according to a similar protocol. This network currently consists of 100+ hospitals in 20+ sites worldwide and collects every year data from thousands of cases combining clinical data, virological data, and virus genome sequencing. The SARS-Cov2 pandemic further demonstrated the value of such a resilient network driven by site empowerment, use of existing local infrastructure combined with capacity building, cross-country open collaboration, and data ownership by sites. Scope has been enlarged progressively to focus on various respiratory viruses including SARS-Cov2. This platform’s features are particularly aligned with current pandemic preparedness discussion and are open to opportunities for synergies.