Protecting the health of communities through integrated disease surveillance – Ghana and beyond

"Within ten years, all Member States will have established an effective and functional IDSR system that will generate information for timely action thus contributing to the reduction of mortality, disability and morbidity."

WHO-AFRO Regional Committee, September 1998

Background/Intervention: In 2004, the Quality Health Partners project (financed by USAID/Ghana and managed by EngenderHealth, partnering with Abt Associates) supported the introduction of the WHO Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system to 200 health care facilities in 30 Districts of Ghana in support of the WHO-AFRO commitment to establish IDSR throughout Africa, along with their regional and district health management teams.

Results: By 2007 the availability of all of the IDSR reporting forms in these facilities had increased significantly (p<.01) and the regular completion of the forms to report incidence of disease had also increased significantly (p<.0001). Most importantly there are indications that these data are being used. One hundred percent of suspected disease outbreaks were investigated with written reports. Displays of demographic data of the catchment areas in the facilities and also analyses of malaria trends (current to the last quarter) increased in target facilities (p<.005). The most effective method of introducing the system was by conducting district level training with key personnel from all facilities, followed by close supervision and follow-up in the field.

Conclusions: This highly successful replication of the WHO model, could usefully be scaled up further throughout Ghana to ensure timely reporting on key infectious diseases, such as avian influenza and protect the health of communities in the region.