Surveillance

Question 1

What is surveillance?

Answer 1

Ongoing scrutiny of the occurrence and spread of a disease to inform and enable public health action, the action should be appropriate, timely and effective. It can be local or national.

Question 2

Describe national surveillance

Answer 2

1. Identify trends which are not obvious in smaller populations (elderly etc)
2. Emergence of bacteria who have resistance to anti-biotics
3. Assist in formulation national policies
4. Monitor the effectiveness of national disease control programmes

Question 3

Describe local surveillance

Answer 3

1. Identify potential sources and outbreaks of infection
2. Allow adequate contact tracing
3. Establish level of immunity and vaccine uptake in the community
4. Allows resources to be co-ordinates properly