Assessment of infectious diseases surveillance system in Mosul, Iraq

ABSTRACT

There is a growing international awareness that coping with infectious diseases threat relies on effective and efficient epidemiological surveillance system. To evaluate the infectious diseases surveillance and response system in Mosul, Iraq. This study examined the structure and performance of the core activities, response and supportive functions of infectious diseases surveillance system. Data were gathered via sets of questionnaires that cover both interviews and certain observations at local, sectors and regional health levels within these institutions in Mosul city, Iraq. There is an acceptable registration, reporting activities and passable supervisory visits for the disease specific surveillance systems at health facilities level, while all poor for monthly passive surveillance. Obvious lack of standardized case definitions with limited ability for laboratory diagnosis at health facilities surveyed. Feedback activities were the weakest issue in the surveillance at all levels. Nonexistence of essential activities required for the system to act as an early warning system for epidemic detection at health facilities and sectors levels. There is poor reporting facilities, although 76.5% of health facilities have computers, none of them use this equipment for compiling and reporting surveillance data. Special attention required for the improvements in supervision, standardized case definitions and quality of reporting, analysis and feedback of monthly passive surveillance, with a continuous support for the disease specific surveillance systems activities