BACKGROUND :

CORDS, Connecting Organizations for Regional Disease Surveillance, respectfully submits a proposal to the International Organizing Committee of the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) 2018 for a CORDS Side Meeting organized by CORDS, the Skoll Global Threats Fund, and The Rockefeller Foundation. We believe that a Prince Mahidol Award Conference on the theme of A World Safe from the Threats of Emerging Infectious Diseases comes at a critical time to promote cooperation and elevate the linkages with other non-profit organizations from around the world for the advancement of public health. This proposal builds upon immediate past PMAC themes of health of vulnerable populations, global health and learning equity, universal coverage, and a world united against infectious diseases to sustain the global movement to nurture capacities for regional networks and alliances. CORDS strengthens global capacity to detect, validate and respond to infectious disease threats. We honor the memory of King Bhumibol Adulyadej by promoting public good, cooperating with other partner organizations who share the vision of the Conference of making the world safe from the threats of emerging infectious diseases. Connecting Organizations for Regional Disease Surveillance (CORDS) is an international non-governmental organization connecting regional networks together for sharing best practices, exchanging information in real time, and strengthening global health security. By linking regional disease surveillance networks, CORDS builds a trust-based community of experts who share best practices, surveillance tools and strategies, training courses, and innovations. CORDS exemplifies the shifting patterns of international collaboration needed to prevent, detect, and counter all types of biological threats. The mission of CORDS as a network-of-networks is to link regional disease surveillance networks to improve global capacity to respond to infectious diseases. CORDS is a collective with six founding regional disease surveillance networks, named above, with plans to expand; it works complementarily and cooperatively with the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the Food and Animal Organization (FAO). It is in this context, that CORDS has great relevance with knowledge and experience to connect peoples, communities and governments across geopolitical borders to create an engine of engagement and systematized change. Since 2012, CORDS has focused on reducing and preventing the spread of infectious diseases by moving health information among surveillance experts in different countries and across continents. As CORDS enters its sixth year of operation, it celebrates its notable achievements by providing a forum for interactive engagement among Network members and other PMAC attendees. The PMAC conference will catalyze the power of public-private-community partnerships to develop future actionable and fundable mission-focused activities.