ABSTRACT
Thirteen years ago; WHO-AFRO proposed the establishment of a sentinel disease surveillance network as part of efforts to improve surveillance for invasive bacterial diseases (IBD) including paediatric pneumonia and meningitis and rotavirus diarrhoea in all Member States as part of surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases and in line with the regional strategy integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR). This was prompted by the eminent availability of new and prospective vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib); Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneum); Neisseria meningitides (Nm) and rotavirus vaccines. The Regional Office for Africa developed guidelines and tools and standardized methodology; including cases definitions to be used to recruit eligible cases. This article outlines the challenges and results of this initiative to date and aims for the future