syndromic surveillance in the Pacific

Communicable Disease Monitoring

Routine surveillance │ Hospital-Based Active Surveillance │ Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) Surveillance

Pacific Syndromic Surveillance

Weekly reports

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Background

National focal points for the International Health Regulations (IHR) and PPHSN EpiNet representatives from the Pacific Island countries and territories gathered in Auckland, New Zealand from 23 to 26 March 2010 to discuss a standard and sustainable syndromic and event-based surveillance system for the Pacific Islands region.

The meeting led to everyone's agreement to implementing a syndromic surveillance system comprising at least four core syndromes with standardised case definitions:
• Acute fever and rash
• Diarrhoea
• Influenza-like illness
• Prolonged fever

Descriptions of the case definitions are detailed in the meeting report and the practical guide.

Key documents

► Practical Guide for Implementing Syndromic Surveillance in Pacific Island countries and territories
> in word format (499 KB)
> in pdf format (480 KB)developed by WHO, SPC and PPHSN members and partners.

► Final meeting report :
"Meeting for the Pacific IHR National Focal Points and PPHSN-EpiNet Representatives on Syndromic Surveillance
Auckland, New Zealand,
23–26 March 2010

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) have collaborated for many years on strengthening surveillance and outbreak response in the Pacific within the PPHSN framework. The previous meeting for Pacific IHR national focal points recommended that WHO and SPC jointly develop a proposal for internationally standardised syndromic surveillance in the Pacific. This recommendation was re-emphasised by the 2009 Pacific Ministers of Health meeting in Madang, Papua New Guinea. Both organisations worked together in this direction and developed the proposed system.

Pacific Outbreak Manual

WHO and SPC have also developed a "Pacific Outbreak Manual" for the management of important infectious diseases meant to healthcare workers in the Pacific. Comments or suggestions on this document from PPHSN members, especially Pacific Island healthcare workers, are very welcome (see contacts below).

► Download the draft Pacific Outbreak Manual
> in word format (846 KB)
> in pdf format (862 KB).

For further information, comments or questions related to syndromic surveillance, please contact any of the following persons:

At WHO Division of Pacific Technical Support
Dr Jacob Kool

At SPC Noumea Headquarters
Dr Pascal Frison