WHO has recently published best practices of participatory surveillance for influenza and influenza-like illness . Here we present a group of short questions and answers that explains what participatory surveillance is, why the ongoing study of influenza is so important, how participatory surveillance has many advantages, and how this new publication supports setting up and conducting participatory surveillance.
What is participatory surveillance?
Participatory surveillance is an approach for gathering information from the community to monitor trends. Proactively engaging members of the community to regularly report on health events has been an approach adopted in many countries for different public health objectives. It complements other sources of surveillance information, such as from health care facilities and vital statistics.
Why is the study of health and disease conditions, including of influenza, so important?
Knowing factors of health and disease conditions such as the distribution (who, when and where), patterns, and determinants (health risks) in a specific population (which is known as epidemiology) is a foundation for public health. Studying the epidemiology of a disease such as influenza is particularly important to detect any usual trends that might signal a change in the circulating influenza viruses or the emergence of an influenza virus from animals that begins to infect people. Using surveillance to understand the epidemiology of influenza provides evidence to shape policy and take preventative measures, while also helping to inform other important public health issues. Health facility-based surveillance is the cornerstone of influenza surveillance as this approach allows for monitoring trends at varying levels of the disease pyramid (mild to severe) and allows for quality testing and characterization of viruses, as well as fulfilling many other influenza surveillance objectives.
What are the advantages of participatory surveillance for influenza and influenza-like illness?
Traditional influenza surveillance at health facilities relies on symptomatic people seeing a healthcare provider. Participatory surveillance is complementary to traditional health facility-based surveillance because surveillance information comes from both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals, and from symptomatic individuals who may not initially seek health care. Information may also come from members of the population who may be underrepresented in traditional facility-based surveillance. Where participatory surveillance for influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI) has been implemented experience indicates that such systems are accurate, flexible, cost-effective and robust with regard to changes in health care seeking behaviour. However, there are also a number of limitations, challenges and biases that must be taken into consideration.
How does this publication support putting into practice participatory surveillance?
This WHO document provides globally applicable guidance on implementing participatory surveillance for influenza and ILI based on expert input and abundant experience from countries in which such surveillance has been implemented. The document sets out best practices for public health officials to consider, either when looking to implement a participatory surveillance system or when making changes to an existing system.
The publication can be found here: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240095038
Look out for translations in other WHO languages…
