Establishing a community event-based surveillance system in Kadoma City, Zimbabwe: a mixed-methods study protocol

Area of Science:

• Public Health Surveillance
• Epidemiology
• One Health Approach

Background:

• Kadoma's current public health surveillance relies on indicator-based surveillance (IBS), leading to delayed outbreak detection and response.
• This protocol details the establishment of a Community Event-Based Surveillance (CEBS) system to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and evaluate a CEBS system in Kadoma.
• To enhance early identification and response to public health threats by complementing existing IBS.
• To integrate the One Health approach into public health surveillance.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach will be employed for system establishment and evaluation.
• Training will be provided to healthcare personnel, community health workers (CHWs), and representatives from animal health and environmental sectors.
• System performance will be assessed through preliminary and full evaluations guided by Africa CDC and updated CDC guidelines.

Main Results:

• The CEBS system aims to improve the timeliness of signal detection and response.
• The system is expected to increase the variety of public health events identified.
• Evaluation metrics include signal frequency, verification, event types, response timeliness, and system acceptability.

Conclusions:

• The CEBS system is anticipated to strengthen Kadoma's public health surveillance and response capabilities.
• The One Health approach integrated into CEBS will provide a more comprehensive understanding of health threats.
• Successful implementation and evaluation will contribute to improved community health outcomes and preparedness.