WHO is required to assist all member states in fulfi lling the new obligations. On request, WHO will collaborate with countries to evaluate their public health capacities and facilitate technical cooperation, logistical support, and mobilization of fi nancial resources for strengthening capacity in surveillance and response. Countries will build on existing national or regional strategies such as the Asia Pacifi c Strategy for Emerging Diseases in WHO's Southeast Asia and Western Pacifi c Regions (16) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response strategy in the African Region (17) . In many countries, national action plans can also build on the infl uenza pandemic preparedness plans developed with WHO's guidance. Specifi c WHO guidelines and initiatives, particularly in the areas of external quality assessment for laboratories, data gathering and analysis at the health district level, and the central and coordination functions of national public health institutes, are being developed. WHO's Lyon Offi ce for National Epidemic Preparedness and Response is specifi cally dedicated to supporting countries in meeting the core national capacity requirements of IHR (2005) .