Participatory Research on Emerging and Infectious Disease in SouthEast Asia (SEA-PREID) network held its inception workshop in Bangkok at Kasestart University under CIRAD coordination. The network is hosted by the GREASE Network (www.grease-network.com) and with initial support from the Rockefeller Foundation through PENAPH.  The meeting brought together interested professionals working in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and Indonesia to discuss the value of creating a network to advance the use of participatory methods in epidemiology and sociological research related to animal health.

The inception group identified the following objectives or roles for SEA-PREID:

• Promoting inter-disciplinarity
• Promoting appropriate use of participatory epidemiology in SEA
• Capacity building in participatory epidemiology
• Developing group projects with participatory components

The founding discussants expressed that the network’s initial activities should stress:

• In-service training in participatory epidemiology
• Development of joint project proposals
• Development of academic curriculum on participatory epidemiology

Other activities of interest were information exchange, the creation of forums for brainstorming on complex issues related to research and development, and development of training materials for South East Asia.

PENAPH was requested to establish a SEA-PREID page on the PENAPH website and a online community of practice for SEA-PREID members.

Potential participants from South East Asia are encouraged to send comments to this posting.