As a part of enforcing the Global Influenza Strategy 2019- 2030, SEARO conducted a common public and transnational review of the integrated ILI/ SARI surveillance system in Timor- Leste. Recommendations from the review end to strengthen country capacities for covering respiratory pathogens of epidemic eventuality.
The 75th Southeast Asia Regional Committee championed operationalization of the 75th World Health Assembly( WHA) docket item17.3 on influenza preparedness. In this regard, the WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia( SEARO) supports perpetration of the Global Influenza Strategy 2019- 30. Regional sweats are aimed at strengthening country capacities through specialized backing to public influenza programmes. In view of strengthening influenza like illness( ILI)/ severe acute respiratory infection( SARI) surveillance capacity in Timor- Leste, SEARO conducted a common public and transnational review from 21-25 November 2022.
The crucial objectless of the review were :
- To review influenza guard surveillance( ILI/ SARI) in line with global influenza surveillance norms and guidance on end- to- end integration with COVID- 19 surveillance;
- To understand the degree to which integration of influenza surveillance and SARS- CoV- 2 monitoring abused the ILI/ SARI guard surveillance system; and
- To give recommendations to policymakers and programme directors to insure sustainability of high quality, integrated guard surveillance with the inflexibility of using the system for the surveillance of wider respiratory pathogens of epidemic and epidemic eventuality.
The transnational pundits were from the public influenza programmes of Nepal and Bangladesh, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and WHO. The pundits visited two community health centres, two referral hospitals, the Hospital National Guido Valadares and the surveillance department of the Ministry of Health.
The review concluded that the country has a geographically representative ILI/ SARI guard surveillance system that has been abused for integrated monitoring of influenza, SARS- CoV- 2, and respiratory syncytial contagion. The review stressed the vacuity of standard operating procedures, established laboratory and epidemiological liaison, innovative sample transportation systems, digitized dashboards for easy access to data, and a functional data operation system.
Among the recommendations for farther strengthening surveillance capacity, the following were stressed as being significant
Icing sustainability( including fiscal) of ILI/ SARI surveillance;
1. Developing a plan for exercising the integrated ILI/ SARI guard surveillance platform for continued COVID- 19 surveillance in the transition or post epidemic period;
2. Conducting a public surveillance review of all guard spots with performing point performance enhancement plans; and
3. Establishing a specialized working group for perpetration, monitoring, and evaluation of the ILI/ SARI surveillance system aimed at respiratory pathogens of epidemic and epidemic eventuality.
Capacity strengthening supported by the PIP Partnership Contribution was cited as an avenue to apply review recommendations on Timor- Leste’s ILI/ SARI surveillance system.
