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Why is Surveillance Important?
•Public health surveillance data can be used to:
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•guide disease control & prevention measures
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•measure the burden of disease
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•evaluate public policy
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•detect changes in health practices
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•prioritize the allocation of health resources
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•describe the clinical course of disease
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•provide a basis for epidemiologic research
Speaking Points

Data from public health surveillance can be used in a number of ways:

•To guide in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs to prevent and control disease, injury, or adverse exposure

•To measure the burden of disease, including identification of populations at high risk and identification of new or emerging health concerns

•To evaluate public policy – for example, a decrease in the rate of chickenpox observed during routine surveillance would demonstrate the efficacy of public policy mandating varicella vaccination for school age children

•To detect changes in health practices and the effects of these changes – for example, a decrease in the rate of lung cancer observed during routine surveillance could suggest a decrease in smoking

•To prioritize the allocation of health resources – knowing which diseases are the most prevalent, which are on the rise and which on the decline can help inform how health-related funds should best be allocated

•To describe the clinical course of disease – data obtained during SARS surveillance served to enlighten scientists about the clinical course of this new disease

•To provide a basis for epidemiologic research - disease trends detected using surveillance can be used to formulate hypotheses and prioritize research efforts