Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share By
Performance Assessment of a Communicable Disease Surveillance System in Response to the Twin Earthquakes of East Azerbaijan Publisher Pubmed



Babaie J1 ; Ardalan A1, 2 ; Vatandoost H3 ; Goya MM4 ; Akbari Sari A5
Authors

Source: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Published:2015


Abstract

Objective: Following the twin earthquakes on August 11, 2012, in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran, the provincial health center set up a surveillance system to monitor communicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the performance of this surveillance system. Methods: In this quantitative-qualitative study, performance of the communicable diseases surveillance system was assessed by using the updated guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Qualitative data were collected through interviews with the surveillance system participants, and quantitative data were obtained from the surveillance system. Results: The surveillance system was useful, simple, representative, timely, and flexible. The data quality, acceptability, and stability of the surveillance system were 65.6%, 10.63%, and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and positive predictive value were not calculated owing to the absence of a gold standard. Conclusions: The surveillance system satisfactorily met the goals expected for its setup. The data obtained led to the control of communicable diseases in the affected areas. Required interventions based on the incidence of communicable disease were designed and implemented. The results also reassured health authorities and the public. However, data quality and acceptability should be taken into consideration and reviewed for implementation in future disasters. Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2015.
Other Related Docs
15. Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks in Iran, 2006-2011, Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2015)
16. Proposing a Model for the Evaluation of the Iranian Maternal Mortality Surveillance System: A Mixed Method Study, International Journal of Women's Health and Reproduction Sciences (2025)