Event-Based Surveillance at Community and Healthcare Facilities, Vietnam, 2016-2017

Abstract

Surveillance and outbreak reporting systems in Vietnam required improvements to function effectively as early warning and response systems. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, launched a pilot project in 2016 focusing on community and hospital event-based surveillance. The pilot was implemented in 4 of Vietnam's 63 provinces. The pilot demonstrated that event-based surveillance resulted in early detection and reporting of outbreaks, improved collaboration between the healthcare facilities and preventive sectors of the ministry, and increased community participation in surveillance and reporting.

Keywords: International Health Regulations; Public health surveillance; Vietnam; bacteria; disease outbreaks; global health security; viruses.

Figure 1

Existing surveillance and reporting system improved for event-based surveillance, Vietnam, September 2016–May 2017. Enhancements are shown in dashed boxes; the reporting tools at each level are shown in gray dashed boxes.

Figure 2

Provinces participating in event-based surveillance pilot project (stars), Vietnam, September 2016–May 2017.

Figure 3

Poster displaying community-level signals for pilot of event-based surveillance, Vietnam, September 2016–May 2017.

Figure 4

Assessment tools deployed at each site for assessment of an EBS pilot project, Vietnam, September 2016–May 2017. Acceptability survey and time stamp events tool were sent to all districts in the pilot provinces, not only to the sites selected for the FGD and KII site visits. CHS, commune health station; EBS, event-based surveillance; FGD, focus group discussion; FP, focal point; KII, key informant interview; POC, point of contact; PPMC, Provincial Preventive Medicine Center; VHW, village health worker.

Figure 5

Number of signals reported to districts in the 4 event-based surveillance pilot provinces, Vietnam. Data were collected from the district monthly summary report during September 2016–May 2017.

Figure 6

Case study of a cluster of food poisoning illustrating the value of EBS in early detection leading to rapid response, Dai Thang commune, Vu ban District, Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam, September 2016. CHS, Commune Health Station; DHC, District Health Center; DPMC, District Preventive Medicine Center; EBS, event-based surveillance; PPMC, Provincial Preventive Medicine Center; VHW, village health worker.

Figure 7

Sources contributing to signal detection and reporting through EBS at the community level in pilot provinces, Vietnam, September 2016–May 2017. Data were extracted from 428 acceptability survey questionnaires completed by Commune Health Station EBS focal points in July 2017. Each bar represents the number of survey respondents who identified the information source as contributing to EBS within the last 4 weeks. EBS, event-based surveillance.