Book chapter
Emergency and Disaster Health Surveillance
Handbook of Epidemiology, pp 731-759
01 Jan 2014
Abstract
During crises that threaten public health, as during more ordinary circumstances, surveillance is a fundamental part of public health practice and is used to measure the impact of disease, detect changes in trends, guide immediate and long-term actions, and prioritize the use of public health resources. Surveillance is especially critical during times of crises such as epidemics, natural disasters, famines, and conflicts. During events that rise to the level of becoming humanitarian emergencies, the highest rates of mortality and morbidity occur during the early phases when resources are scarce, healthcare and other service delivery systems are disrupted, and the health, safety, security, and well-being of populations are at risk (Toole and Waldman 1990). Compared with routine surveillance, surveillance during major emergencies is abbreviated in order to focus on those diseases or conditions with epidemic potential or with the highest risk of severe morbidity or mortality. During other urgent but less severe public health events, such as outbreaks or disasters that have lesser impacts, surveillance is needed to characterize health threats, track the health of affected populations throughout the course of events, and complement more targeted epidemiological and laboratory investigations. Absent clearly imminent threats to public health, certain surveillance methods can be employed on an ongoing basis to provide early indication or rapid characterization of disease outbreaks, should they occur, enabling prompt investigations and responses. Across this spectrum of scenarios, a common theme is the importance of the timeliness of surveillance, including the need to collect, manage, analyze, interpret, and report surveillance information quickly in order to be useful in urgent and rapidly evolving situations. This premium on timeliness may constrain the ability of epidemiologists to maximize other desirable attributes of surveillance, such as detailed information, completeness, or specificity.
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2 citations in Scopus
Details
- Title
- Emergency and Disaster Health Surveillance
- Creators
- Susan T. Cookson - Center for Global HealthJames W. Buehler - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Contributors
- Wolfgang Ahrens (Editor)Iris Pigeot (Editor)
- Publication Details
- Handbook of Epidemiology, pp 731-759
- Publisher
- Springer New York; New York, NY
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Health Management and Policy
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85026210780
- Other Identifier
- 991021895785504721