PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Department has launched a community-based surveillance (CBS) system to improve early detection and response to communicable diseases across the province.
As part of the rollout, a two-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop began in Abbottabad. The program is supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH) Pakistan, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the KP Health Department.
The training brought together key officials, including Director Public Health Dr. Saleem, fellows from the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP), medical staff from the District Health Office Mardan, and other health personnel.
The CBS system will first be piloted in 20 union councils of Mardan district. Its main goal is to quickly identify, report, and respond to disease outbreaks at the community level. Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and community workers will report health issues in their areas to Lady Health Supervisors (LHSs).
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These supervisors will forward the information to local Basic Health Units (BHUs), which will pass it to the District Health Office (DHO). The collected data will then reach provincial authorities and contribute to national disease surveillance.
Officials said the system will help spot disease outbreaks early, make healthcare better in cities and villages, and help stop the spread of infectious diseases across Pakistan.
The initiative is seen as a major step toward modernising public health infrastructure and building a stronger, more responsive healthcare system in the country.
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