Assessment of the impact of integrated disease surveillance and response system on surveillance management at healthcare facilities in Pakistan.
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN HEALTH JOURNAL = LA REVUE DE SANTE DE LA MEDITERRANEE ORIENTALE = AL-MAJALLAH AL-SIHHIYAH LI-SHARQ AL-MUTAWASSIT 2024;
30:109-115. [PMID:
38491896 DOI:
10.26719/emhj.24.026]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Background
Disease surveillance is very crucial especially in high vulnerability settings like Pakistan. However, surveillance and outbreak response management are still evolving in the country and research studies are needed to assess the existing system.
Aim
To assess the impact of integrated disease surveillance and response system (IDSRS) implemented by the provincial government to strengthen infectious disease surveillance and reporting in 6 districts of Pakistan in 2016.
Methods
A baseline cross-sectional assessment of health facilities and the healthcare workforce was conducted in 2016 to identify needs and gaps in public sector health facilities and the health system of 6 selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. This was followed by a 2018 endline survey of the same facilities using the same variables.
Results
Overall, there was improvement in district management and facility level performance (χ2 (1, 314) = 21.19, P < 0.001, V = 0.26). District level management improved significantly in areas with relatively lower Gross Domestic Product (GDP)? χ2(1, 154) = 30.41, P <0.001, V = 0.44). Facilitation domain variables improved in the lower GDP districts (χ2 (1, 74) = 5.76, P = 0.016, V = 0.28) and showed counterintuitive deterioration (χ2 (1, 74) = 4.80, P = 0.028, V = 0.25) in relatively higher GDP areas.
Conclusion
IDSRS is effective in improving surveillance and response systems, however, its effectiveness appears to depend on locale-specific economies and can be enhanced by modifying the implementation approach. Better empowerment of the local workforce can contribute to such improvement.
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