Integration of Human and Animal Diseases Surveillance Systems in Uganda: The West Nile Experience

Background: Independent human and animal disease surveillance creates challenges linking zoonotic diseases outbreaks in either populations, while integration improves simultaneous zoonotic disease reporting and response in both populations. This paper evaluates integration within human and animal surveillance systems and challenges of integrating the two, in West Nile, aiming to improve simultaneous zoonotic disease detection in humans and animals. Methods: Cross-sectional data from in-depth interviews on integration of core and support surveillance function of human and animal surveillance systems, collected with an integration assessment tool was analysed on integration levels and gaps within and across the two systems. Findings: Integration was high in human surveillance (0.92); in planning, reporting and outbreak response (1), data processes (0.86), laboratory processes (0.93) and coordination (0.87); but low in animal surveillance (0.56), especially data collection and analysis (0.20). Integration of human varied from animal surveillance systems (0.97 vs. 0.56), especially in data processes (variation of 0.70). Conclusions: Differential integration of core and support surveillance functions between human and animal surveillance systems challenges zoonotic disease surveillance, in data collection, reporting frequency and lack electronic real-time disease notification for anmals diseases. Human IDSR guidelines provide platform to coordinate animal disease reporting and improving zoonotic diseases surveillance. Investments focusing on Point-of-Care animal diseases diagnosis, real-time reporting and eIDSRCBS, reduce delayed animal disease diagnosis. The integration assessment tool is available for adoption to effectively identified integration gaps. © 2019, Texila International Journal (TIJ). All rights reserved.