Sustaining Community-Based Surveillance (CBS) for early detection and response to Avian Influenza (AI) and Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs)

Vietnam is considered a high-burden country for Avian Influenza (AI) and has since 2003 reported over 2,500 outbreaks of H5N1 influenza in poultry flocks, with 119 confirmed human cases resulting in 59 deaths. Early detection and response is an essential first defense against AI H5N1 and other EIDs. At present, there remains a critical gap between the established national surveillance system and community-level efforts. The USAID's Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative, initiated in 2009, has piloted a CBS model involving 1850 collaborators (Human and Animal Health Workers) in target provinces to help fill this void. A mid-term review was conducted in December 2010 to assess the initial effectiveness and the aspects related to model replication and sustainability. It revealed that the model is functioning well and has contributed to increased sensitivity of both human and animal health surveillance systems. Number of the suspected cases in human and poultry according to the trigger case definitions reported by the collaborators are 4,936 and 11,452, respectively. The grassroots partners appreciate the approach and have assumed their new roles. People's awareness has been raised while the collaborators are being credited for their efforts and gaining more trust from the community. The model builds on existing systems in the animal and human health sectors, thereby meeting local needs and providing a sustainable mechanism for continued early detection and reporting of AI and EIDs. However, important challenges remain in terms of developing closer collaboration between the human and animal health sectors, and institutionalizing the model by local resources.