The ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic has led to India’s disease surveillance system recording unusually fewer instances of diseases other than COVID-19. The IDSP issues weekly reports on disease outbreaks across the country based on its surveillance network that spans at least 600 districts. It is claimed that the under-reporting was due to the lockdown and the behavioural change that actually depressed instances of disease spread.
Integrated Disease Surveillance Program
Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) was launched in 2004. A Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) at Delhi, State Surveillance Units (SSU) at all State/UT head quarters and District Surveillance Units (DSU) at all Districts in the country have been established.
It aims to strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based IT enabled disease surveillance systems for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends and to detect and respond to outbreaks in early rising phase through trained Rapid Response Team (RRTs).
Under IDSP, data is collected on epidemic prone diseases on a weekly basis (Monday–Sunday). The information is collected on three specified reporting formats, namely “S” (suspected cases), “P” (presumptive cases) and “L” (laboratory confirmed cases) filled by health workers, clinicians and laboratory staff respectively. The weekly data gives information on the disease trends and seasonality of diseases.
Whenever there is a rising trend of illnesses in any area, it is investigated by the RRTs to diagnose and control the outbreak. Data analysis and actions are being undertaken by respective State/District Surveillance Units.
Programme Components:
- Integration and decentralization of surveillance activities through establishment of surveillance units at Centre, State and District level.
- Human Resource Development – Training of state surveillance officers, district surveillance officers, rapid response team and other medical and paramedical staff on principles of disease surveillance.
- Use of Information Communication Technology for collection, collation, compilation, analysis and dissemination of data.
- Strengthening of public health laboratories.
- Inter sectoral coordination for zoonotic diseases.
[The IDSP portal is a one stop portal (www.idsp.nic.in) which has facilities for data entry, view reports, outbreak reporting, data analysis, training modules and resources related to disease surveillance].
