WHO Unity Studies

for sero-epidemiological investigation of COVID-19.

Evidence-based knowledge for public health response
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As of the 18th of October 2021, the following collaborators and institutions have contributed by
conducting at least one of the following investigations under the WHO Unity Studies framework:
1) Population-based age-stratified sero-epidemiological investigation protocol for SARS-CoV-2 infection
and
2) The First Few X (FFX) cases and contact and Households (HH) investigation protocols for SARS-CoV-2
infection.

The World Health Organization would like to extend their sincere thanks to all informed individuals
participating in these investigations who make this work possible

European Region (EURO)

ALBANIA
Silvia Bino, Institute of Public Health, Tiranë, Albania

ARMENIA
American University of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
Ecosense Diagnostic Center, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia

AUSTRIA
Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

AZERBAIJAN
Public Health and Reforms Center, Ministry of Health, Baku, Azerbaijan

BELARUS
Elena Samoilovich, Ministry of Health, Minsk, Belarus

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Banja Luka Public Health Institute of Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Republika of Srpska
Ranko Škrbić, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka Faculty of Medicine, Republika of
Srpska
Dejan Bokonjić, Faculty of Medicine Foča, University ofEast Sarajevo, Republika of Srpska
Sanjin Musa, Institute for Public Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Elma Catovic Baralija, Institute of Transfusion Medicine of the federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

1
BULGARIA
Department of Epidemiology at the National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia,
Bulgaria

ESTONIA
Health Board Laboratory of Communicable Diseases, Tallinn, Estonia

FAROE ISLANDS
Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
The Faroese Hospital System, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

FINLAND
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

FRANCE
Arnaud Fontanet, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
Santé Publique France, Saint-Maurice, France

GEORGIA
Olgha Tarkhan-Mouravi , National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
Nazibrola Chitadze, R. Lugar Center for PH Research, National Center for Disease Control and
Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia

GERMANY
Hendrik Streeck, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany

GREECE
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
University of Athens, Athens, Greece

HUNGARY
Semmelweiss University, Budapest, Hungary

ISRAEL
Israel Center for Diseases Control, Israel
Ministry of Health, Israel
School of Public Health, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

ITALY
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

KAZAKHSTAN
Serzhan Aidosso, National Center of Public Health, Kazakhstan
Applied Research Center for Sanitary and Epidemiological Expertise and Monitoring, Almaty,
Kazakhstan
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

2
KYRGYZSTAN
Zuridin Nurmatov, Scientific and Production Association for Preventive Medicine, Bishkek,
Kyrgyzstan
Tatiana Kuchuk, Republican Scientific and Practical Center for the Control of Viral Infections

KOSOVO
Sanije Hoxha-Gashi, University of Pristina, Pristina, Kosovo
Ministry of Health, Pristina, Kosovo
National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo, Prishtinë, Kosovo

NORTHERN CYPRUS
Ministry of Health, Northern Cyprus, Northern Cyprus

NORTHERN MACEDONIA
Gordana Kuzmanovska, Institute of Public Health, Northern Macedonia
Golubinka Bosevska, Institute of Public Health, Northern Macedonia

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Nicolae Furtuna, National Agency for Public Health, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
Alexei Ceban, National Agency for Public Health, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova

Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO)

AFGHANISTAN
Ministry of Health, Kabol, Afghanistan

IRAN
Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, Tehran, Iran

JORDAN
Sami Sheik Ali, Ministry of Health, Amman, Jordan

LEBANON
Nada Ghosn, Epidemiology Surveillance Program, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon

LIBYA
Faculty of Medicine, Misrata University, Misurata, Libya

PAKISTAN
Assad Hafeez, Pakistan Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan
Ministry of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan

PALESTINE
Palestinian National Institute of Public Health, Ramallah, Palestine
Ministry of Health, Palestine

3
QATAR
Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

SYRIA
Ministry of Health, Damascus, Syria

TUNISIA
Sopon Iamsirithavorn, Institut Pasteur of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
Ben Alaya, National Observatory of New and Emerging Diseases, Tunis, Tunisia

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

YEMEN
Abudulla Salem Bin Ghouth, Hadramout University, College Of Medicine, Mukalla, Yemen
Aden University, Aden, Yemen

African Region (AFRO)

ALGERIA
National Institute of Public Health, El Biar, Algeria

BURKINA FASO
Isidore Traoré, Centre MURAZ, National Institute of Public Health, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Sandrine Dabakuyo, Centre Georges François Leclerc, Dijon, France

CAMEROON
Anne Cecile Bissek, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé,
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Karampreet Sachathep, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, United States

CENTRAL AFRICA REPUBLIC

Institut Pasteur, Bangui, Central Africa Republic

REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Francine Ntoumi, Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Medicale, Brazzaville, Republic of
Congo

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Sheila Makiala, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Congo
Mbola Mbassi Symplice, Regional Office for Africa, World Health Organization
Gervais Folefack, Regional Office for Africa, World Health Organization

ESWATINI
Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand and
Johannesburg

4
ETHIOPIA
Enyew Birru, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

GABON
Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon

GHANA
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana

KENYA
Beth Barr, Western Kenya at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kenya
Eric Osoro, WSU Global Health Kenya
Godfrey Bigog, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme
Ifedayo Adetifa, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme
Ambrose Agweyu, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme
Patrick Munywoki, Kenyan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Nairobi, Kenya
Stanley Luchters, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
Anthony Ngugi, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya

LIBERIA
Moses Massaquoi, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Paynesville, Liberia
Thomas Nagbe, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Paynesville, Liberia
Julius Monday, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Paynesville, Liberia

MADAGASCAR
Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
Ministry of Health, Ambohidahy, Madagascar

MALAWI
Matthew Mizeck Kagol, Public Health Institute of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
Evelyn Chitsa Banda, Public Health Institute of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
Annie Mwale, Public Health Institute of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
Titus Divala, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
Kondwani Jambo, Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Malawi

MOZAMBIQUE
National Institute of Health Mozambique, Maputo, Mozambique
Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

NIGER
Hamidou Lazoumar, Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire, Niamey, Niger
Sani Ousmane, Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire, Niamey, Niger
Lagare Adamou, Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire, Niamey, Niger
Monkaila Boutchi, Maternité Issaka Gazobi, Niamey, Niger
Diarra Salamatou Almoustapha, Direction de la Surveillance et Riposte aux Epidémies,

5
 Ministère de la Santé Publique, Niamey, Niger
Ronan Jambou, Niger Institut Pasteur, Niger

NIGERIA
Laura Steinhardt, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Kristen Stafford, University of Maryland, Baltimore, United States
Ehi Igumbor, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, Nigeria

SENEGAL
Institut Pasteur De Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
Ministry of Health, and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal

SIERRE LEONE
Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierre Leone

SOUTH AFRICA
Ministry of Health, South Africa
Gloria Maimela, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences,
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Catherine Martin, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences,
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Nicole Wolter, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa
Cheryl Cohen, Ministry of Health, South Africa
Pinyi Nyimol Mawien, Ministry of Health, South Africa
John Ndyahikayo, Ministry of Health, South Africa
Ansen Edu, Ministry of Health, South Africa
Valerie Mize, Ministry of Health, South Africa
Robert Lasu, Ministry of Health, South Africa

SOUTH SUDAN
South Sudan Ministry of Health, Juban, South Sudan

TOGO
Kokou Mawulé Davi, Regional Office of Africa, World Health Organization
Didier Koumavi Ekouevi, Université de Lomé, Lomé, Togo
Ministry of Health, Lomé, Togo

ZAMBIA
Lloyd Mulenga, Zambian Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia
University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

ZIMBABWE
Nicholas Midzi, National Institute of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare,
Zimbabwe

Region of the Americas (AMRO/PAHO)

6
BRAZIL
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Brazil

CANADA
Public Health Ontario, Canada

FRENCH GUYANA
Claude Flamand, Institut Pasteur in French Guyana, French Guyana

HAITI
Jean William Pape, Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA
Ministry of Public Health and Population, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

UNITED STATES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia, United States

South-East Asia Region (SEARO)

BANGLADESH
Tahmina Shirin, Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh

INDIA
Puneet Misra, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Kapil Yadav, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Aswathy Sreedevi, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, India
Farzana Islam, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, New Delhi, India
Ullas Kolthur-Seetharam, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
Daksha Shah, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
Mangla Gomare, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Mumbai, India
Jayanthi Shastri, Kasturba Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Kasturba Hospital, Mumbai India
Sandeep Juneja, School of Technology and Computer Science, Mumbai, India
Gagandeep Kang, Translational Health Science and Technology, Faridabad, India
Anup Malani, IDFC Institute, Mumbai, India
Manoj Mohanan, IDFC Institute, Mumbai, India
Gayatri Nair Lobo, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, India
Gajanan Velhal, Seth G S Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India

INDONESIA
Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono, Center for Health Research, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
Ministry of Health, Jakarta, Indonesia

NEPAL
Reuben Samuel, National Public Health Laboratory, National Public Health Laboratory,
Kathmandu, Nepal
Krishna Poudel, National Public Health Laboratory, Kathmandu, Nepal

7
SRI LANKA
Chandima Jeewandara, Centre For Dengue Research, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri
Lanka and Sri Lanka Navy, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

THAILAND
Sutthichai Nakphook, Ministry of Public Health, Mueang Nonthaburi District, Thailand
Joshua Mott, Center for Disease Control Influenza Regional Program, Bangkok, Thailand

Western Mediterranean Region (WPRO)

AUSTRALIA
APPRISE Centre of Research Excellence, Australia
Kristine Macartney, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Sydney,
Australia
Australian Government Department of Health, Australia
Melbourne University, Melbourne, Australia
The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia

CHINA
Quanyi Wang, Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
Liming Li, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
Hong Kong University, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong

FRENCH POLYNESIA
French Polynesia Ministry of Health, Papeete, French Polynesia

JAPAN
Kayoko Hayakawa, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Kyoko Taya, National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan, Tokyo, Japan

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Evelyn Lavu, Central Public Health Laboratory, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea

PHILIPPINES
Kristine Alvarado-Dela Cruz, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine-Department of Health,
Muntinlupa, Philippines
Manuel Dayrit, Department of Health, Manila, Philippines
Raul Esteban, Philippines Survey & Research Center, Manila, Philippines
Ma. Dominga Padilla, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines
Vikki Carr de los Reyes, Department of Health of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines
Alberto Rivera
Josephine Romero
George Royeca

8
MALAYSIA
Chong Zhuo Lin, Ministry of Public Health, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Jamal I-Ching Sam, University Hospital Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

MONGOLIA
Battogtokh Chimeddori, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Ulan Bator,
Mongolia

NEW ZEALAND
National Public Health, New Zealand

SINGAPORE
Ministry of Health, Singapore
National University of Singapore, Singapore
National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Novena, Singapore

VIETNAM
Dang Duc Anh, Pasteur Institute, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Pr Hien, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam
Duy Quang, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam

Global
Epiconcept

The Institute Pasteur International Network

United States-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC)

SeroTracker

Funders
The WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund

The German Federal Ministry of Health COVID-19 Research and development

Reference
• Bergeri I, Lewis HC, Subissi L, Nardone A, Valenciano V et al. Early epidemiological investigations:
World Health Organization UNITY protocols provide a standardized and timely international
investigation framework during the COVID-19 pandemic. Influenza Other Respir. Viruses.
Accessed Oct 8 2021.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/irv.12915
• WHO website: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-
guidance/early-investigations