Capacity building for integrated disease surveillance and response

Project description

Title: Capacity building for integrated disease surveillance and response
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Kenya
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Health and Sanitation
Overall term: 2011 to 2012

Context

Kenya experienced outbreaks of H1N1 in 2009 and 2010, and there is still a high risk of incidences of avian influenza occurring. The country is also increasingly susceptible to the periodic outbreak of seasonal influenza and other contagious diseases such as cholera, measles and polio. The difficult living conditions faced by people in the north-east of the country put them at particular risk, since phenomena such as droughts can increase the potential for severe outbreaks among vulnerable population groups.

It is therefore important to establish a reliable integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) network. Through an integrative approach it strengthens early warning and reporting capacities, improves responses, and mitigates infectious diseases effectively.

Objective

The integrated disease surveillance and response systems in Kenya are improved and expanded. Early warning systems for the detection of infectious diseases are strengthened and operate at all levels. As a result, cases of reportable diseases are identified more rapidly and the necessary measures are taken in time. Overall management and supervision capacity is improved.

Approach

If containment strategies are not taken quickly enough, infectious diseases can spread very easily. To enhance the early detection and reporting of suspicious cases, this project provides IDSR training that is designed to improve the capacities of the health system at national, district and health facility levels. It also supports the continuous and reliable identification of both common and newly detected infectious diseases. This is a basic prerequisite when it comes to correct prioritising of interventions for a stronger health system.

The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation of Kenya. All its training courses are developed and implemented with the assistance of the Centre for Disease Control. These courses are conducted at locations close to the capital city Nairobi and in the north east of Kenya.

National and provincial IDSR training teams instruct district health managers in the management and supervision of surveillance and response modules. Training and preparation are also provided for special district rapid response teams, which should be able to identify and respond appropriately to suspected disease outbreaks. Provincial trainers and the district health managers will then provide on-the-job IDSR training for selected health care workers in each district. Finally, instruction is also given to port-of-entry health teams, who learn to detect, report and control diseases, and to initiate response measures.

On behalf of BMZ, the project is supported by the German Pandemic Preparedness Initiative of GIZ.