Syndromic surveillance in Vanuatu since Cyclone Pam: a descriptive study

Area of Science:

• Public Health Surveillance
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• Vanuatu established a syndromic surveillance system in 2012, aligned with Pacific Community and WHO guidelines.
• The system initially focused on four core syndromes: acute fever and rash, prolonged fever, influenza-like illness, and acute watery diarrhea.
• Cyclone Pam in March 2015 prompted significant modifications and enhancements to the surveillance system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a formal evaluation of the syndromic surveillance system's performance in Vanuatu post-Cyclone Pam.
• To assess the regularity of reporting and documentation of core syndromes between July and December 2015.
• To identify trends and characteristics of reported syndromic cases during the study period.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study was conducted across 11 sentinel sites in Vanuatu.
• Data collection spanned from July to December 2015, encompassing 53,822 consultations.
• Analysis focused on the occurrence and patterns of the four core syndromes.

Main Results:

• Total consultations decreased in the latter half of the study period.
• No cases of acute fever and rash or prolonged fever were reported.
• Influenza-like illness cases occurred sporadically until week 35; acute watery diarrhea was consistently low.
• Females and children under five years old were disproportionately represented among cases of influenza-like illness and acute watery diarrhea.

Conclusions:

• Vanuatu successfully implemented changes to its syndromic surveillance system in the latter half of 2015.
• The system operated without integrated laboratory components during this period.
• Laboratory integration was planned for 2016 and intended for future evaluation.