REDe is a regional research network that will enable research teams to respond to emerging infectious diseases. This regionally-led network needs to be equipped with the knowledge, methods, skills and capabilities to support a high quality, rapid and coherent research response to the Zika outbreak in the short term. In addition this network sets out to establish lasting capacity to conduct research in the event of other vector-borne and emerging infectious disease outbreaks in Latin America and the Caribbean in the long-term.