9. Introduction to HEALTH PROTECTION

Question 1

what is HEALTH PROTECTION

Answer 1

PROTECTION of INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS and POPULATIONS from the IMPACTS of INFECTIOUS DISEASES and ENVIRONMENTAL, CHEMICAL & RADIOLOGICAL THREATS

Question 2

what is DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

Answer 2

CONTINUOUS, SYSTEMATIC COLLECTION, ANALYSIS and INTERPRETATION of DISEASES and their RELATED FACTORS

• EARLY WARNING SIGNS
• UNDERSTANDING BURDEN
• INFORMING PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION
• EVALUATING EXISTING ACTIVITES

Question 3

STEPS that are made in SURVEILLANCE

(cyclical process)

Answer 3

1. Capture and Collation of DATA
2. ANALYSIS and INTERPRETATION of data (to GENERATE INFORMATION)
3. DISSEMINATION of INFORMATION (spreading)
4. INTERVENTION - PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE

and expected changes -> EVENT
- reporting of event -> data

Question 4

TYPES of DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
(may have overlapping features)

what is ACTIVE

Answer 4

EFFORT undertaken to GATHER INFORMATION

(timely and costly)

Question 5

TYPES of DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

what is PASSIVE

Answer 5

Data Collected FROM ROUTINE SOURCES
eg. LAB REPORTS

Question 6

TYPES of DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

what is SENTINEL

Answer 6

data FROM a SAMPLE of HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Question 7

TYPES of DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

what is SYNDROMIC

Answer 7

FROM TELEPHONE, GP CONSULTATIONS

Question 8

TYPES of DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

what is ENHANCED

Answer 8

collected of MORE DETAILED INFORMTAION THAN ROUTINE

Question 9

what is name of the TYPE of DISEASE SURVEILLANCE that is COLLECTED from TELEPHONE

Answer 9

SYNDROMIC

Question 10

what is name of the TYPE of DISEASE SURVEILLANCE that is COLLECTED from a SAMPLE OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Answer 10

SENTINEL

Question 11

what is a disease OUTBREAK

Answer 11

WHO:
‘‘the occurrence of disease in EXCESS of NORMAL EXPECTANCY. The number of cases varies according to the disease-causing agent, and the size and type of previous and existing exposure to the age’’

• 2 or more cases where the ONSET OF ILLNESS is CLOSELY LINKED in TIME (weeks rather than months) AND in SPACE
  where there is suspicion of, or evidence of, a COMMON SOURCE of INFECTION with or without microbial supprot

Question 12

what is a disease CLUSTER

Answer 12

2 or more cases that INITIALLY APPEAR to be LINKED by SPACE (eg. residence, work) AND which have SUFFICIENT PROXIMITY in DATES of ONSET OF ILLNESS (eg. 6 months) to WARRANT FURTHER INVESTIGATION

group of people or cases with apparent similar cancers, chronic diseases, congenital anomalies or unusual illnesses

Question 13

STEPS taken to know if a CLUSTER is a PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN

Answer 13

1. SCREENING
   gather data. is the cluster worth investigating further?
2. ASSESS
   verify cases are true cases
   has an excess number of cases occurred?
   is the excess in cases potentially due to an exposure?
3. AETIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
   determine a biologically plausible pathway between exposure and case

Question 14

HEALTH PROTECTION ISSUES ARISE IN..

Answer 14

1. CONTAMINATED LAND
   - former industrial ‘brownfield sites’ being redeveloped
2. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
   - air pollution
3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE
   - flooding/fires