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Timor-Leste has leveraged its influenza sentinel surveillance websites to develop an built-in surveillance system to concurrently detect and monitor SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.
In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza surveillance in Timor-Leste was severely interrupted as its restricted sources have been diverted to cope with the pandemic. Because the pandemic advanced, surveillance for SARS CoV-2 additionally dropped and the minimal samples obtainable from well being care services made it more and more troublesome to establish and interpret epidemiological patterns and adjustments.
To beat this twin problem, Timor-Leste adopted an built-in strategy to maintain SARS CoV-2 testing whereas sustaining the nation’s influenza sentinel surveillance. Consistent with WHO integration tips, and with the assist of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution, a number of actions have been carried out, together with:
- nationwide consultations to develop a method for built-in surveillance;
- a nationwide workshop to tell stakeholders and growth companions, together with municipal well being administrators and govt administrators from nationwide and referral hospitals and from the nationwide well being laboratory; and
- coaching workshops to construct the capability of well being staff and laboratory technicians to operationalize the technique.
Excessive precedence was given to attaining consensus on the built-in surveillance technique utilizing rounds of advocacy to high-level ministry officers. These policy-makers nicely understood the significance of built-in surveillance for sustainability and cost-effectiveness in addition to the challenges to implementation.
The usual working procedures for built-in surveillance have been finalized based mostly on classes learnt through the COVID-19 pandemic and the suggestions of the session workshop. Actions to boost employees capacities at sentinel surveillance websites have been then carried out.
The brand new technique for built-in surveillance in Timor-Leste, and its profitable implementation, has ensured the nation can successfully detect and monitor SARS-Cov-2 whereas mitigating disruptions to influenza surveillance brought on by COVID-19. Within the close to future, Timor-Leste will start reporting the built-in surveillance knowledge to FluMART.
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