The NEWS (Monrovia)
C. Emmanuel Johnson
13 June 2008
Monrovia — The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has ended a four-day seminar on integrated disease prevention in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
The seminar was intended to develop technical guidelines for Integrated Disease, Surveillance and Response (IDSR).
The seminar which brought together several health workers from around the country was also intended to adopt national technical guidelines that would strengthen public health surveillance and response to disease at county level.
Participants at the end of the seminar advanced series of recommendations that would ensure the smooth implementation of the IDRS in Liberia.
They called on the Ministry of Health to reactivate the Epidemic Management Committee, National Disaster Commission and establish a rapid response team.
Additionally, they want government through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to review the five-year implementation plan of the IDRS with a policy for its actualization.
The participants want the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide the case definition for lymphatic filariassi and rabies and assist in mobilizing resources for the regular production of the Ministry of Health Epi-bulletin.
They also want the WHO to support the annual meeting of the county health officers and the National Epidemiology Division as well as assist the ministry in building the capacities of the staff.
The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response is a strategy adopted in 1998 by member countries of the World Health Organization African Regional office during its 48th session.
The IDSR is aimed at improving the availability and use of surveillance and laboratory data for the control of priority infectious disease that lead to death, disability and illness in Africa.
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