OUR ACTIVITIES- ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS SURVEILLANCE

Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) and Zambia National Public Health Reference Laboratory (ZNPHRL) “are mandated to provide infectious disease intelligence based on the functional surveillance and reliable testing services for various infectious diseases. In response to the increasing need for a new surveillance system for acute gastroenteritis (AGE), which remains one of Zambia’s key health issues, ZNPHI and the Project selected AGE as one of the target diseases.

The Project is working on the establishment of a surveillance system for AGE, which it calls AGE Surveillance. Through the AGE surveillance, we aim to establish a system for collecting stool samples in the surveillance sites (i.e., health care facility where we collect stool samples and patient information), transporting samples from the surveillance sites to ZNPHRL, and testing the samples for panels of enteric pathogens, including cholera, to understand what pathogens are causing AGE in the surveillance sites. Before the launch in October 2023, the Project, in collaboration with ZNPHRL, prepared the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and ZNPHRL staff and have visited the Northern, Central, and Eastern provinces to select surveillance sites. As of today, a total of 5 surveillance sites in 4 provinces are supporting the AGE surveillance, including Lusaka (Kanyama Level 1 Hospital and Chipata Level 1 Hospital), Kapiri-Mposhi in Central Province (Kapri Urban Clinic), Chipata in Eastern Province (Mchini Health Post), and Mpulungu in Northern Province (Mpulungu Urban Clinic).

Through the AGE surveillance, ZNPHI and ZNPHRL will be able to monitor the epidemic condition and etiology of AGE in Zambia. Furthermore, we can prevent the spread of AGE outbreaks by early detection and intervention supported by the epidemiological information generated through AGE surveillance.

To conduct quality-assured surveillance, the Project will provide training and capacity building for ZNPHRL and 5 surveillance site staff. Through this ongoing support, the Project will contribute to the overall project goal of improving laboratory-based surveillance led by ZNPHI and ZNPHRL.