A novel Early Warning Outbreak Recognition System (EWORS) is being implemented in Southeast Asia, initially serving the Indonesian archipelago and Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam), with expansion planned throughout the region including Singapore and Thailand. This system develops regional outbreak recognition capabilities by integrating information technology with public health and emerging disease surveillance interests. Supported by the Global Emerging Infections System (GEIS), and in the capacity of a WHO Collaborating Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases, NAMRU-2 and the Indonesian Ministry of Health have designed a novel yet practical approach to targeted outbreak surveillance through computerized networking of selected hospital sites. EWORS provides baseline measures of disease occurrence for trend analysis, reliable information on syndromic conditions, and real time transfer of data for early outbreak detection. This software package, which has been translated into the Indonesian language, and is currently being translated into Khmer and Lao, accommodates data collection realities of the region. It is menu driven, for instant graphic presentations that include epidemic curves, line and bar trends, age/sex specific syndromic conditions and site-specific geographical mapping to identify case clusters. Outbreak recognition is predicated on trend analysis. EWORS is developed in the overall context of improving regional outbreak response capabilities, which includes laboratory diagnostics and epidemiological investigations. In less than two years of pilot operation over 150,000 case entries have been made, resulting in 7 instances of early outbreak recognition. EWORS allows medical planners and public health officials to focus scarce resources, to intervene early and prevent epidemics. See www.namru2.org
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Surveillance, Outbreaks
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.