Improving National Intelligence for Public Health Preparedness

A methodological approach to finding local multi-sector indicators for health security

Bibliographic Data

ID21881340
AuthorsNgozi Erondu (0000-0003-0268-6838, Chatham House, corresponding author), Afifah Rahman-Shepherd (0000-0002-8845-9275, Chatham House), Mishal Khan (0000-0002-8967-1761, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Mishal S Khan (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London, UK), Ebba Abate (Ethiopian Public Health Institute), Emmanuel Agogo (0000-0002-3570-3254, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control), Evelien Belfroid (0000-0002-6432-2880, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), Osman Dar (0000-0003-2800-8664, Chatham House), Angela Fehr (0000-0003-3825-5642, Robert Koch Institute), Lara Hollmann (0000-0002-5500-8275, Chatham House), Chikwe Ihekweazu (0000-0003-0659-0833, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control), Aamer Ikram (0000-0002-6440-750X, National Institute of Health), Bjørn G Iversen (0009-0008-8418-6741, Norwegian Institute of Public Health), Bjorn Gunnar Iversen (Norwegian Institute of Public Health), Alemnesh H Mirkuzie (0000-0001-7555-8541, Ethiopian Public Health Institute), Tayyab Razi Rathore (National Institute of Health), Neil Squires (Public Health England), Ebere Okereke (0000-0002-0136-213X, Public Health England)
Year2021
Volume6
Issue1
Pagese004227
Publication date2021-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004227
PMID33495285
OpenAlexW3122195950
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited24

The COVID-19 epidemic is the latest evidence of critical gaps in our collective ability to monitor country-level preparedness for health emergencies. The global frameworks that exist to strengthen core public health capacities lack coverage of several preparedness domains and do not provide mechanisms to interface with local intelligence. We designed and piloted a process, in collaboration with three National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Pakistan, to identify potential preparedness indicators that exist in a myriad of frameworks and tools in varying local institutions. Following a desk-based systematic search and expert consultations, indicators were extracted from existing national and subnational health security-relevant frameworks and prioritised in a multi-stakeholder two-round Delphi process. Eighty-six indicators in Ethiopia, 87 indicators in Nigeria and 51 indicators in Pakistan were assessed to be valid, relevant and feasible. From these, 14–16 indicators were prioritised in each of the three countries for consideration in monitoring and evaluation tools. Priority indicators consistently included private sector metrics, subnational capacities, availability and capacity for electronic surveillance, measures of timeliness for routine reporting, data quality scores and data related to internally displaced persons and returnees. NPHIs play an increasingly central role in health security and must have access to data needed to identify and respond rapidly to public health threats. Collecting and collating local sources of information may prove essential to addressing gaps; it is a necessary step towards improving preparedness and strengthening international health regulations compliance

Environmental health · Health security · Political science · Preparedness · Public health · Public relations · Public sector · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Health and Conflict Studies · Medicine · Nursing · Public Health Policies and Education