Regional strategy for integrated disease surveillance and response – 2020–2030: report of the Secretariat

Abstract

1. In 1998, Member States adopted the “Integrated Disease Surveillance in Africa: A Regional Strategy (‎1999–2003)‎”. The strategy was later renamed Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (‎IDSR)‎. The IDSR strategy is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach for strengthening national public health surveillance and response systems at all levels.2. In 2016, Member States endorsed the Regional strategy for health security and emergencies 2016–2020. Based on the Regional strategy for health security and emergencies, all Member States are expected to implement IDSR with over 90% national coverage by 2020. In order to build on these developments and to allow for contemporary evidence as well as innovations in technology, a new IDSR regional strategy for 2020–2030 is required. The new strategy emphasizes the interlinkages within the IDSR as an integral part of health systems strengthening to achieve universal health coverage (‎UHC)‎.3. The first objective of the new IDSR strategy is to strengthen national capacity for early detection, complete recording, timely reporting, regular analysis and prompt feedback of IDSR priority diseases, events and conditions at all levels. The second objective is to strengthen national and supranational laboratory capacity to confirm IDSR priority diseases, events and conditions. The third objective is to strengthen capacity for public health emergency preparedness and response at all levels.4. The new strategy also provides guidance to Member States on strengthening the IDSR in alignment with broader national policies and plans and an integrated supervision, monitoring and evaluation system. Finally, it stipulates milestones, targets and priority interventions to guide Member States.5. The Regional Committee reviewed and adopted the strategy.