Media Scanning as a Supplemntal tool to Disease Outbreak Reporting und)er IDSP-IndiaAn event based surveillance Project (IDSP).

Media scanning & verification cell (MSVC) was established on 24th July 2008 under IDSP at National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi for providing supplemental information on early detection of outbreaks in India so that a timely and an appropriate action can be taken. Since then the system is working efficiently and has detected many outbreaks before the conventional system in their incipient stages and helped in their containments at early stages. Media scanning & verification cell is an “Early Warning System” (EWS) that gathers preliminary reports of public health significance on a real time basis and immediately disseminate the information to the users electronically for verification. This unique system monitors Global and National Media sources such as National and Regional print media, news on internet, websites, news channels and news shared by partners like Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN), Canada, WHO and other International and national agencies. Media scanning & verification cell is managed by trained Epidemiologists and Public Health Consultants working in Central Surveillance Unit of IDSP. The major part of work is manual with two rounds of screening by experts that fulfills issues regarding quality assurance.

Communicable Disease Outbreak Detection by Using Supplementary Tools to Conventional Surveillance Methods under Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), India.

Communicable disease control relies on effective response systems and effective response systems rely on effective disease surveillance. Surveillance is first step towards prevention. In addition to conventional routine indicator based surveillance system, countries must develop additional tools in terms of supplementary surveillance system for providing information on early detection nf outbreaks in India so that a timely and an appropriate action can be taken. Presently Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) at National Centre for Disease Control, DeIhl, India is carrying out country wide surveillance. IDSP has developed four supplementary event reporting tools to strengthen and increase the sensitivity of its routine weekly indicator based surveillance system. These event based reporting tools are Early Warning Signallif Outbreak reporting, Media Surveillance, Toll free number (1075) and Community Based Surveillance. These supplementary tools have proven to be efficient and effective in timely detection nf many public health threats.