ProMED-mail
www.promedmail.org

Purpose
ProMED-mail is an internet-based surveillance system that disseminates information on outbreaks of infectious diseases and acute exposures to toxins based on media reports and reports from subscribers. It reports on diseases that affect human health, including those in animals and in plants grown for food or animal feed.32

History and operational characteristics
The Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED)-mail was established in 1994 as a project of the Federation of American Scientists. Since 1999, it has been operated by the International Society for Infectious Diseases.29,33

Currently, international ProMED-mail reports in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian; French will be added in the near term, and eventually Chinese and Arabic will be added as well. Each of the non-English language programs serves a particular geographic region and covers disease news and topics relevant to the region.

ProMED-mail focuses on newly described or unknown diseases, epidemics, and outbreaks, as well as the emergence of known diseases in new areas or populations. It has given early warning of outbreaks, sometimes before official sources. ProMED-mail reports are aimed primarily at the infectious disease community around the world, including scientists, physicians, epidemiologists, public health professionals, and others interested in infectious diseases of public health importance. It also has a substantial readership among the general public.

Each day ProMED-mail staff members glean several dozen reports that may have public health significance from sources including media reports, official reports, online summaries, and subscriber submissions. (ProMED-mail does not use GPHIN as a source of reports because of funding constraints.) Initial reports are reviewed by a “top moderator”—a ProMED-mail editor or associate editor. The top moderator examines each report and rejects those that are not relevant, timely, credible, or unique. The selected reports are passed to ProMED-mail’s subject area moderators, who are experts in human, animal, or plant diseases. They assess each report for accuracy and reliability, verify the source, edit the report, and add references both to the general biomedical literature and to prior related ProMED reports, as well as relevant maps and images. If a report does not include key information, or is of dubious credibility, a moderator will likely issue a request for more information or query an outside expert. Some reports are rejected or combined with other reports. Brief commentaries are added to improve clarity and supply background information and context. Reports are processed based on public health significance. Most reports are categorized as not urgent; these are copy edited and posted within 24 hours of receipt. Reports that are likely to have greater importance to public health are moved more quickly through the editorial process. Urgent reports are posted immediately. All reports that are judged to be credible are posted on the ProMED-mail website and sent to subscribers (~36,000) in approximately 160 countries. Subscribers can request condensed summaries of accumulated reports or certain types of reports (e.g., those related to plant diseases). ProMED-mail reports are reviewed daily by the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.34

Region/countries served
Worldwide; reports available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.

Funding/budget/staff
Total budget and staff size were not available. Funding is provided by the International Society for Infectious Diseases, donations from users, and grants from the Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, Oracle Corporation, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative.