Syndromic Surveillance: Adapting Innovations to Developing Settings
Abstract
Surveillance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), "is the cornerstone of public health security". In many developing countries, human, laboratory, and infrastructure limitations impede effective surveillance. Such countries likely do not meet core surveillance and response capacities under the new International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), which require detection of elevated disease and death rates, immediate implementation of control measures, and reporting to WHO of any event that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern. (The previous IHR covered only cholera, plague, and yellow fever.) In some high-income countries, "syndromic surveillance," a novel approach, uses pre-diagnostic data and statistical algorithms to detect epidemics earlier than traditional surveillance, including unusual diseases with nonspecific presentations. Syndromic surveillance also supports public health "situational awareness", which means monitoring the effectiveness of epidemic responses and characterizing affected populations. Despite obstacles to implementation in resource-limited settings, the tools and strategies of syndromic surveillance hold promise for improving public health security in developing countries. Successful applications show that the obstacles can be overcome.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA530271
Entities
People
- Andrés G. Lescano
- Carmen C. Mundaca
- Cesar V. Munayco
- David L. Blazes
- Endang R. Sedyaningsih
- Howard S. Burkom
- Jacqueline S. Coberly
- Jean-Paul Chretien
- Raj J. Ashar
- Ria P. Larasati
- Sheri H. Lewis