Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

• With covid cases settling down, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has alerted states about smaller outbreaks for five diseases—typhoid, malaria, dengue, scrub typhus and hepatitis A.
• The NCDC has directed states to take precautionary measures to control outbreaks. These alerts are part of the regular surveillance under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)

• The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is a nationwide disease surveillance system in India incorporating both the state and central governments aimed at early detection and long-term monitoring of diseases for enabling efficient policy decisions.
• It was started in 2004 with the assistance of the World Bank.
• All states, union territories, and district headquarters of India have established surveillance units.
• With the aim of improving digital surveillance capabilities, the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) was launched in a number of states in November 2019.

Objectives

• To strengthen/maintain a decentralized laboratory based IT enabled disease surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends and to detect and respond to outbreaks in early rising phase through trained Rapid Response Team (RRTs).

Programme Components

• Integration and decentralization of surveillance activities through the establishment of surveillance units at Centre, State and District level.
• Human Resource Development – Training of State Surveillance Officers, District Surveillance Officers, Rapid Response Team and other Medical and Paramedical staff on principles of disease surveillance.
• Use of Information Communication Technology for collection, collation, compilation, analysis and dissemination of data.
• Strengthening of public health laboratories.
• Inter sectoral Co-ordination for zoonotic diseases

Data Management

• Under IDSP data is collected on epidemic-prone diseases on weekly basis (Monday–Sunday). 
• The information is collected on three specified reporting formats, namely “S” (suspected cases), “P” (presumptive cases) and “L” (laboratory confirmed cases) filled by Health Workers, Clinicians and Laboratory staff respectively.  
• The weekly data gives information on the disease trends and seasonality of diseases.
• Whenever there is a rising trend of illnesses in any area, it is investigated by the Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to diagnose and control the outbreak.
• Data analysis and actions are being undertaken by respective State/District Surveillance Units.

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/ncdc-alerts-states-of-smaller-outbreaks-for-typhoid-malaria-dengue-scrub-typhus-and-hepatitis-a-in-new-delhi-11685896954071.html

Download PDF