Surveillance
SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM
Monitoring Health Trends for Early Detection and Response
What is the Surveillance Program?
The Surveillance Program of the NCD Provincial Health Authority is a vital public health function dedicated to monitoring the health status of the community. Its core activity is the continuous monitoring of notifiable diseases – specific diseases that health professionals are required by law to report to public health authorities. These diseases are monitored because they have the potential to cause outbreaks or epidemics. The program achieves this by systematically collecting, analyzing, and interpreting health data, focusing on key activities such as case detection, formal notification of cases, and detailed case investigation. This process is essential for understanding disease patterns, identifying potential threats early, and guiding public health actions to protect the population.
Key Benefits
- Estimating the Magnitude of the Problem:It helps public health officials understand the extent of illness in the community by tracking the number of cases of notifiable diseases.
- Determining Geographic Distribution: By collecting location data for cases, the program maps where diseases are occurring, identifying areas or populations most at risk.
- Early Detection and Definition of Epidemics/Outbreaks: A primary goal is to quickly identify unusual increases in disease cases that could signal an outbreak or epidemic, allowing for rapid response.
- Informing Public Health Action: Data from surveillance informs decision-making on where to allocate resources, implement control measures, and launch prevention campaigns.
- Protecting the Entire Population: By monitoring and responding to disease threats, the program helps prevent widespread illness, protecting individuals of all ages, including the most vulnerable.
- Evaluating Prevention and Control Programs: Surveillance data is used to assess the effectiveness of public health interventions, such as vaccination campaigns.
Services Offered
The Surveillance Program implements a range of activities focused on the continuous monitoring and response to notifiable diseases:
- Routine Disease Surveillance and Monitoring: This involves the ongoing collection and analysis of data on reported cases from various health facilities to track trends over time.
- Case Detection and Investigation: When a suspected case of a notifiable disease is reported, the program initiates a timely investigation, aiming to respond within 24-48 hours. This involves confirming the diagnosis, identifying the source of infection, determining who else might be at risk, and implementing measures to prevent further spread.
- Community Health Surveillance and Awareness: The program engages with communities to raise awareness about notifiable diseases, their signs and symptoms, and the importance of reporting. Empowering the community helps in the early detection of potential issues at the local level.
- Capacity Building for Health Professionals: Training and up-skilling are provided to frontline clinicians at health facilities. This training focuses on recognizing, detecting, notifying, and reporting notifiable health conditions, including both syndromic surveillance (monitoring symptoms) and event-based surveillance (monitoring unusual health events).
- Public Health Response Coordination: Based on surveillance findings, the program coordinates and guides the public health response to disease alerts and outbreaks, including implementing control measures, providing guidance, and collaborating with other health partners.
- Data Management and Reporting: The program collects, manages, and analyzes surveillance data to produce reports that inform health authorities, guide interventions, and contribute to national health statistics.
How to Access Services
The Surveillance Program’s activities are primarily carried out through collaboration with healthcare facilities and trained personnel. While the program itself is not a direct service for individual patient care in the way a clinic is, the public’s role is crucial in the reporting process.
If you suspect a case of a notifiable disease (such as symptoms matching measles, polio, whooping cough, etc., especially if there are multiple cases in a community), you should report it to your nearest health centre or clinic. The staff at these facilities are linked into the surveillance system and can ensure the information is passed on to the appropriate surveillance personnel for investigation. The surveillance program staff work from or with these listed facilities to conduct investigations based on reported cases.
Facilities Involved in Surveillance and Reporting
The program relies on a network of health facilities that serve as key reporting sites and locations for investigations. These facilities are crucial for detecting and reporting suspected cases. Investigations based on reports are conducted by program staff, including those reported from major hospitals. The facilities involved include:
Moresby North East District
- Six Mile Clinic
- Gordons Clinic
- Nine Mile Clinic
Moresby North West District
- Gerehu Hospital (Rated as a high priority site)
- UPNG Clinic
- Tokarara Clinic
- St Therese Clinic
Moresby South District
- Badili Clinic
- Kaugere Clinic
Investigations are also conducted for suspected cases reported from the Port Moresby General Hospital and Pacific International Hospital.
Resources & Downloads
World Health Organization (WHO) – Health Topics
https://www.who.int/health-topics
World Health Organization (WHO) – What is Public Health Surveillance?