TDR has been establishing and strengthening country control programmes’ capacities to identify signals of an impending dengue outbreak. This has led to the development of an Early Warning and Response System for climate-sensitive diseases (EWARS-csd), which is being implemented by 17 countries globally. A new publication documents the experience of implementing EWARS-csd in Mexico.
The integration of the EWARS-csd software into the national surveillance platform in Mexico was a significant milestone and has been a successful experience. A recent paper published in PLOS Global Public Health describes the implementation process of EWARS-csd for dengue in Mexico, which started in 2012, and demonstrates benefits, threats, and opportunities of integrating EWARS-cds into existing national surveillance programs.
Dengue disease epidemics have increased in time and space due to climate-related and other factors such as urbanization. In the absence of an effective vaccine, preventing dengue outbreaks relies on vector control activities. Employing computerized tools such as EWARS-csd to predict outbreaks and respond in advance has great potential for improving dengue disease control.
TDR is also organizing a meeting to be held next month on dengue surveillance systems and the use of EWARS-csd by countries in the Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions, hosted by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health.
For more information, please contact Dr Corinne Merle.