SPC has developed a regional Epidemic Intelligence system to inform public health professionals from the Pacific (and beyond) with an accurate and timely picture of epidemic and emerging disease alerts in the Pacific.
The system comprises an indicator-based surveillance (IBS) component and an Event-based surveillance (EBS) component. Each component includes several sources of information. The IBS component involves ‘structured’ data derived from routine surveillance systems (e.g. syndromic surveillance, lab-based surveillance). The EBS component involves unstructured data and information usually gathered from informal sources (e.g. printed and online media, personal communication, social media). These components are integrated and undergo five processes: collection/detection of data/information, triage, verification, risk assessment and dissemination of alerts.
Through the system, we produce weekly and ad hoc real-time reports and maps of epidemic and emerging disease alerts in the Pacific.
You can consult the web-based interactive map at: www.spc.int/phd/epidemics/
Epidemic and emerging disease alerts in the Pacific report, 2021