7.6
PREPARING FOR A SAFER WORLD TOGETHER
T he Covid-19 pandemic and other health Organization launched the concept of collaborative surveillance in May 2023. This approach aims to boost both surveillance capabilities and collaboration, not just within the health sector, but also extending beyond it. The goal is to enhance our understanding of public health matters and provide better evidence for making informed decisions and taking effective actions. It is a key element within the WHO’s framework to strengthen the global architecture for health emergency prevention, preparedness, response and resilience. emergencies have revealed that in the realm of global health security, the bedrock lies in the robustness of national and regional surveillance systems. Acknowledging this, the World Health
Health surveillance: the bedrock of health security
By Chikwe Ihekweazu, Samuel Mbuthia and Mala Kumar, WHO Open Source Programme Office, WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence
A REIMAGINED WORLD With the implementation of collaborative surveillance, we reimagine a world where decision makers can leverage public health intelligence across geographies, sectors and disease outbreaks. This could empower national,
Global health security relies on a foundation of robust
national and regional surveillance systems, and the World Health
regional and global institutions to detect emerging threats, communicate effectively, respond rapidly and refine strategies continually. At its core, collaborative surveillance can reduce the fragmentation of surveillance systems, fostering interconnectedness among data sources and solutions. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it became evident that harnessing established solutions and swiftly tailoring them in order to identify and control outbreaks was essential. Minimising repetitive work holds great significance in our response to pandemics. The time allocated to duplicative tasks might impede sharing knowledge, distributing resources, providing medical
Organization’s new concept of collaborative surveillance aims to strengthen the global health architecture
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Health: A Political Choice – From Fragmentation to Integration
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