Global Public Health Surveillance Systems
Surveillance has historically been an important tool of public health and disease control, and recent developments in information technology have allowed public health officials to monitor information from a multitude of media sources. By scanning news reports and websites for stories of public health interest, for example, early warning systems have been developed to help public health officials respond more quickly to and manage infectious disease outbreaks around the world.
Given our experience in global public health and our interest in developing tools for the control of infectious diseases, GSID was retained to research the field of informal surveillance networks and to develop a detailed business plan to enhance and improve the operations of the
Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN), which was originally developed by the Public Health Agency Canada (PHAC). Support for this project was funded through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
