ArticlePloS one2018
Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) in Malawi: Implementation gaps and challenges for timely alert.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) in Africa: a systematic review using the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR).Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Development and validation of a framework to improve neglected tropical diseases surveillance and response at sub-national levels in Kenya.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Pooled it
- Systematic review of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) implementation in the African region.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Performance of Routine Disease Surveillance in Sub-Saharan Africa (2010-2024): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Core Reporting and Detection Indicators.Health science reports · 2026Review
- Establishing One Health Surveillance Platform for Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response in Malawi: Action Design Research Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2026Article
- Communicable Disease Surveillance in South Africa and LMICs: A Systematic Review of Systems, Challenges, and Integration with Environmental Health.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2025Review
- Implementation of integrated disease surveillance and response systems in West Africa: lessons learned and future directions.BMJ health & care informatics · 2025Review
- Barriers and facilitators of infectious disease outbreak reporting: a One Health scoping review.One health outlook · 2025Article
- Evaluating the performance of digital surveillance for epidemic-prone diseases in Kwango Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Towards improving district health information system data consistency, report completeness and timeliness in Neno district, Malawi.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2024Article
- Understanding the delay in identifying Sudan Virus Disease: gaps in integrated disease surveillance and response and community-based surveillance to detect viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in Uganda, September 2022.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Mapping Digital Public Health Interventions Among Existing Digital Technologies and Internet-Based Interventions to Maintain and Improve Population Health in Practice: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Participatory Disease Surveillance for the Early Detection of Cholera-Like Diarrheal Disease Outbreaks in Rural Villages in Malawi: Prospective Cohort Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- Feasibility of introducing integrated disease surveillance and response into curricula of public health training institutions in Sierra Leone: the process and lessons learnt.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Insights into COVID-19 data collection and management in Malawi: exploring processes, perceptions, and data discrepancies.Wellcome open research · 2024Article
- Software Tools to Facilitate Community-Based Surveillance: A Scoping Review.Global health, science and practice · 2023Article
- Timeliness and completeness of weekly surveillance data reporting on epidemic prone diseases in Uganda, 2020-2021.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Improving disease surveillance data analysis, interpretation, and use at the district level in Tanzania.Global health action · 2022Article
- Improvements in malaria surveillance through the electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) system in mainland Tanzania, 2013-2021.Malaria journal · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe recent 2014 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks rang the bell to call upon global efforts to assist resource-constrained countries to strengthen public health surveillance system for early response. Malawi adopted the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy to develop its national surveillance system since 2002 and revised its guideline to fulfill the International Health Regulation (IHR) requirements in 2014. This study aimed to understand the state of IDSR implementation and differences between guideline and practice for future disease surveillance system strengthening.
methodsThis was a mixed-method research study. Quantitative data were to analyze completeness and timeliness of surveillance system performance from national District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2) during October 2014 to September 2016. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 29 frontline health service providers from the selected district and 7 key informants of the IDSR system implementation and administration at district and national levels.
findingsThe current IDSR system showed relatively good completeness (73.1%) but poor timeliness (40.2%) of total expected monthly reports nationwide and zero weekly reports during the study period. Major implementation gaps were lack of weekly report and trainings. The challenges of IDSR implementation revealed through qualitative data included case identification, compiling reports for timely submission and inadequate resources.
conclusionsThe differences between IDSR technical guideline and actual practice were huge. The developing information technology infrastructure in Malawi and emerging mobile health (mHealth) technology can be opportunities for the country to overcome these challenges and improve surveillance system to have better timeliness for the outbreaks and unusual events detection.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.