Public Health Surveillance

Public Health Surveillance is the systematic, ongoing collection, analysis and interpretation of data and the timely dissemination of information to public health decision makers so that action can be taken to protect public health.

Public Health Surveillance information has many uses, which include, but are not limited to:

• Detecting potential outbreaks and threats to public health
• Detecting cases for intervention
• Monitoring trends in health events
• Directing public health interventions
• Guiding decision making and action to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health through an emphasis on primary and secondary prevention
• Guiding planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs
• Providing a basis for epidemiological research

Our Scope:

The AHS Public Health Surveillance (PHS) team collaborates with internal and external partners in the development, implementation and operation of an integrated network dedicated to optimizing public health surveillance. By continually analyzing health data and demographic information from various sources, we aim to provide AHS leaders with an epidemiological picture that enables informed decision making.

Who we serve:

The PHS team supports the public health program areas of Environmental Public Health, Communicable Disease Control and Emergency/Disaster Preparedness.

Projects:

The PHS team is currently working with partners on:

• Developing a Respiratory Virus Surveillance Strategy to survey, monitor and detect respiratory viruses in Alberta
• Measuring immunization rates and adverse events
• Pandemic & outbreak surveillance and reporting
• Enteric surveillance
• Alberta Real Time Syndromic Surveillance Network (ARTSSN)
• Communicable Disease & Outbreak Management (CDOM) IT Project