1. Short message service sentinel surveillance of influenza-like illness in Madagascar, 2008-2012
- Author
-
Lisette Ravolomanana, Fanjasoa Rakotomanana, Norosoa Harline Razanajatovo, Soatiana Rajatonirina, Vincent Richard, Yolande Raoelina, Armand Eugène Randrianarivo-Solofoniaina, Laurence Randrianasolo, Jean-Michel Heraud, Arnaud Orelle, Robinson Ramanjato, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Unité de Virologie [Antananarivo, Madagascar] (IPM), Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Ministère de la Santé Publique [Antananarivo, Madagascar], Institut Pasteur de Dakar, and This work was supported by WHO (APW/Ref. OD/AP-08-02451), the French Ministry of Health, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Cooperative Agreement Number: U51/IP000327-01), the US Department of Health and Human Services (Grant Number 6 IDSEP060001-01-01) via the International Network of Pasteur Institutes, and the President’s Malaria Initiative programme (USAIDS). We particularly thank Kathleen Victoir and Marc Jouan from the International Network of Pasteur Institutes.
- Subjects
Male ,Veterinary medicine ,MESH: Text Messaging ,MESH: Risk Assessment ,Disease Outbreaks ,MESH: Influenza Vaccines ,MESH: Madagascar ,0302 clinical medicine ,[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,MESH: Child ,Pandemic ,Epidemiology ,MESH: Data Collection ,030212 general & internal medicine ,MESH: Disease Outbreaks ,Child ,MESH: Developing Countries ,[SDV.MHEP.ME]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Emerging diseases ,Disease surveillance ,MESH: Influenza, Human ,Data Collection ,MESH: Confidence Intervals ,3. Good health ,Influenza Vaccines ,Lessons from the Field ,[SDV.MP.VIR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology ,MESH: Sentinel Surveillance ,Female ,Medical emergency ,Risk assessment ,MESH: Pandemics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,030231 tropical medicine ,Developing country ,Risk Assessment ,International Health Regulations ,03 medical and health sciences ,Influenza, Human ,medicine ,Confidence Intervals ,Madagascar ,Humans ,Developing Countries ,Pandemics ,Influenza-like illness ,Text Messaging ,MESH: Humans ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Outbreak ,[SDV.BBM.BM]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Molecular biology ,medicine.disease ,MESH: Male ,MESH: Public Health Practice ,Public Health Practice ,[SDV.SPEE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologie ,business ,MESH: Female ,Sentinel Surveillance - Abstract
International audience; PROBLEM:The revision of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the threat of influenza pandemics and other disease outbreaks with a major impact on developing countries have prompted bolstered surveillance capacity, particularly in low-resource settings.APPROACH:Surveillance tools with well-timed, validated data are necessary to strengthen disease surveillance. In 2007 Madagascar implemented a sentinel surveillance system for influenza-like illness (ILI) based on data collected from sentinel general practitioners.SETTING:Before 2007, Madagascar's disease surveillance was based on the passive collection and reporting of data aggregated weekly or monthly. The system did not allow for the early identification of outbreaks or unexpected increases in disease incidence.RELEVANT CHANGES:An innovative case reporting system based on the use of cell phones was launched in March 2007. Encrypted short message service, which costs less than 2 United States dollars per month per health centre, is now being used by sentinel general practitioners for the daily reporting of cases of fever and ILI seen in their practices. To validate the daily data, practitioners also report epidemiological and clinical data (e.g. new febrile patient's sex, age, visit date, symptoms) weekly to the epidemiologists on the research team using special patient forms.LESSONS LEARNT:Madagascar's sentinel ILI surveillance system represents the country's first nationwide "real-time" surveillance system. It has proved the feasibility of improving disease surveillance capacity through innovative systems despite resource constraints. This type of syndromic surveillance can detect unexpected increases in the incidence of ILI and other syndromic illnesses.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF