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. 2023 Dec 18;8(12):e013736.
doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013736.

Kenya's experience implementing event-based surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic

Linus Ndegwa  1 , Philip Ngere  2   3 , Lyndah Makayotto  3 , Neha N Patel  4 , Liku Nzisa  2 , Nancy Otieno  5 , Eric Osoro  2 , Eunice Oreri  6 , Elizabeth Kiptoo  7 , Susan Maigua  8 , Adam Crawley  4 , Alexey W Clara  4 , S Arunmozhi Balajee  9 , Peninah Munyua  1 , Amy Herman-Roloff  1
Affiliations

Kenya's experience implementing event-based surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic

Linus Ndegwa et al. BMJ Glob Health. .

Abstract

Event-based surveillance (EBS) can be implemented in most settings for the detection of potential health threats by recognition and immediate reporting of predefined signals. Such a system complements existing case-based and sentinel surveillance systems. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the Kenya Ministry of Health (MOH) modified and expanded an EBS system in both community and health facility settings for the reporting of COVID-19-related signals. Using an electronic reporting tool, m-Dharura, MOH recorded 8790 signals reported, with 3002 (34.2%) verified as events, across both community and health facility sites from March 2020 to June 2021. A subsequent evaluation found that the EBS system was flexible enough to incorporate the addition of COVID-19-related signals during a pandemic and maintain high rates of reporting from participants. Inadequate resources for follow-up investigations to reported events, lack of supportive supervision for some community health volunteers and lack of data system interoperability were identified as challenges to be addressed as the EBS system in Kenya continues to expand to additional jurisdictions.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; Kenya; Public Health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The CEBS pilot reporting system and workflow in m-Dharura. AHA, animal health assistant; CEBS, community event-based surveillance; CDR, community animal disease reporter; CHV, community health volunteer; SCDSC, subcounty disease surveillance coordinator; SCMOH, subcounty Ministry of Health; SCVO, subcounty veterinary officer; SMS, short message service.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Number of CEBS signal reported in Kenya, September 2019–June 2021. CEBS, community event-based surveillance.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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