Publication: Surveillance
Date
2006-05
ISSN
Published
2006-05
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
Health surveillance is the ongoing
systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health
data essential for planning, implementing, and evaluating
public health activities, closely integrated with timely
dissemination of the data to enable effective and efficient
action to be taken to prevent and control disease. The scope
of surveillance is broad, from early warning systems for
rapid response in the case of communicable diseases to
planned response in the case of non-communicable diseases,
where the lag time between exposure and disease is longer
than for communicable diseases. Most countries have laws or
regulations on mandatory reporting of a list of conditions
determined by each country, primarily communicable diseases
such as childhood vaccine-preventable diseases (polio,
measles, tetanus, and diphtheria), TB, hepatitis,
meningitis, and leprosy. Relatively small investments can be
very effective in reducing death, disease, and disability.
Surveillance can make the health system more effective and
efficient, and better able to control devastating epidemics.
It can lead to early detection of local epidemics when
control is more effective, less costly, and involves less
loss of life. Surveillance is also important for controlling
and preventing endemic diseases that reduce productivity and
can be costly to manage. Good surveillance systems permit
early identification of diseases such as TB and syphilis
that can be cured easily with low-cost treatments, combined
with other public health actions.
Citation
“World Bank. 2006. Surveillance. at a glance. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/7c3ccbfa-725e-564d-804e-727af6e95fed License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”