Evaluating event-based surveillance capacity in Africa: Use of the Africa CDC scorecard, 2022-2023

Kyeng Mercy Tetuh; Stephanie J Salyer; Dativa Aliddeki; Bethelhem Tibebu; Fatma Osman; Franck Chi Amabo; Leocadia Kwagonza Warren; Maryam Ibrahim Buba; Yenew Kebede

doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102398

Evaluating event-based surveillance capacity in Africa: Use of the Africa CDC scorecard, 2022-2023

Prev Med Rep. 2023 Sep 9:36:102398. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102398. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Kyeng Mercy Tetuh¹, Stephanie J Salyer^{1

2}, Dativa Aliddeki¹, Bethelhem Tibebu¹, Fatma Osman¹, Franck Chi Amabo¹, Leocadia Kwagonza Warren¹, Maryam Ibrahim Buba¹, Yenew Kebede¹

Affiliations

¹ Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Surveillance and Disease Intelligence, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
² United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Health Protection, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: Event-based surveillance (EBS) is a critical component of Early Warning, Alert and Response (EWAR) capacity needed for outbreak prevention and control. To better understand existing EBS and monitor the progress of capacity-building efforts over time, Africa CDC developed an EBS scorecard as part of a revision to the EBS Framework.

Methods: We distributed the scorecard to African Union (AU) Member States (MSs). Survey responses from the MSs' human health sector were aggregated, cleaned, and analysed. MS, regional, and continental EBS capacity was assessed.

Results: Between 21 July 2022 and 4 April 2023, a total of 63 respondents representing 49 (89%) of 55 MSs completed the survey. Given Africa CDC's public health mandate, we acknowledged the importance of One Health collaboration in MSs but focused on and analysed only the human health sector responses. Thirty-four (71%) MSs stated having EBS in place; hotline was the most common type of EBS implemented (76%). Seventeen (50%) MSs reported multisectoral, One Health collaboration as part of EBS implementation. Scorecard outcomes showed a minimal (score of <60%) to average (score between 60-80%) level of EBS capacity in 29 and five (5) MSs respectively.

Discussion: Current EBS capacity levels need to be strengthened in Africa to ensure the continent remains prepared for future public health threats. The Africa CDC EBS scorecard provides a useful way to measure and track this capacity over time. Results can be used to advocate for and target resources for capacity building to foster public health emergency preparedness efforts.

Keywords: Africa; Capacity scorecard; Early warning systems; Evaluation; Event-based Surveillance.