Bridging Borders for Health: The Vital Role of Regional Cooperation in Infectious Disease Control and Mitigation of Health Emergencies; A Response to the Recent Commentaries.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic underlined the importance of effective regional collaboration to control infectious diseases. In December 2021, we published a scoping review in this journal examining research on how to operationalise regional bodies to effectively address potential infectious disease threats. Key enablers included clear understanding of the regional context, sufficient budgeting, addressing cultural/ language issues, staffing capacity, and governmental priorities. Initial engagement among institutional bodies involved in design, implementation, monitoring, or evaluation of such collaborations is essential, as are a transparent governance structure with clear responsibilities and secure long-term funding.