Sars-CoV-2 case detection using community event-based surveillance system—February–September 2020

Lessons learned from Senegal

Bibliographic Data

ID21880198
AuthorsOumy Seck (Surveillance Division, Prevention Department, Government of Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal), Jerlie Loko Roka (0000-0002-6660-8882, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dakar, Senegal, corresponding author), Mamadou Ndiaye (0000-0002-0322-7070, Surveillance Division, Prevention Department, Government of Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal), Mamadou N’Diaye (0000-0002-1721-3294), Apophia Namageyo-Funa (0000-0002-6758-021X, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Sam Abdoulaye (Surveillance Division, Prevention Department, Government of Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal), Abdoulaye Mangane (Surveillance Division, Prevention Department, Government of Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal), Ndeye Licka Dieye (Surveillance Division, Prevention Department, Government of Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal), Babacar Ndoye (Africa Field Epidemiology Network, Dakar, Senegal), Boly Diop (0000-0001-5950-2628, Surveillance Division, Prevention Department, Government of Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action, Dakar, Senegal), Jim Ting (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Omer Pasi (0000-0001-5255-2614, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Year2023
Volume8
Issue6
Pagese012300
Publication date2023-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012300
PMID37353236
OpenAlexW4381839238
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited20

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid development and implementation of effective surveillance systems to detect and respond to the outbreak in Senegal. In this documentation, we describe the design and implementation of the Community Event-Based Surveillance (CEBS) system in Senegal to strengthen the existing Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system. The CEBS system used a hotline and toll-free number to collect and triage COVID-19-related calls from the community. Data from the CEBS system were integrated with the national system for further investigation and laboratory testing. From February to September 2020, a total of 10 760 calls were received by the CEBS system, with 10 751 calls related to COVID-19. The majority of calls came from the Dakar region, which was the epicentre of the outbreak in Senegal. Of the COVID-19 calls, 50.2% were validated and referred to health districts for further investigation, and 25% of validated calls were laboratory-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2. The implementation of the CEBS system allowed for timely detection and response to potential COVID-19 cases, contributing to the overall surveillance efforts in the country. Lessons learned from this experience include the importance of decentralised CEBS, population sensitisation on hotlines and toll-free usage, and the potential role of Community Health Workers in triaging alerts that needs further analysis. This experience highlights the contribution of a CEBS system in Senegal and provides insights into the design and operation of such a system. The findings can inform other countries in strengthening their surveillance systems and response strategies

Disease · Disease surveillance · Environmental health · Hotline · Medical emergency · Outbreak · Pandemic · Population · Public health · Public health surveillance · Telecommunications · Toll · Triage · Computer Science · COVID-19 diagnosis using AI · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Medicine · Nursing · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research · Immunology · Virology

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