Organization

Organization of Hib-PBM surveillance

As part of Hib-PBM surveillance, clinical, laboratory, and data management staff in 30 of the 46 countries in the African Region have trained to conduct pediatric bacterial meningitis hospital-based sentinel surveillance. In 2009, 24 countries were still participating in the network (see diagram on Performance of Paediatric Bacterial Maningitis Surveillance 2009 below). Four countries are no longer reporting due to in country challenges. Country involvement in bacteriological surveillance is determined according to ministry of health (MOH) interest in new vaccine introduction and commitment for conducting disease surveillance, eligibility for financial support from the GAVI Alliance[1] and absence of other major challenges with the Expanded Program on Immunization (e.g., polio eradication activities). Standardized surveillance guidelines have been developed for identifying suspected meningitis cases, laboratory confirmation and data reporting.

Of the 24 countries reporting data in 2008, 18 have one sentinel site, and 4 have two or more. In 2003, Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania expanded the country surveillance program to include additional sentinel sites to include pneumonia and sepsis with support from the Network for Surveillance of Pneumococcal Disease in the East African Region (netSPEAR) [2] .Including sites from netSPEAR, a total of 26 sentinel hospitals participated in the PBM Network in 2008. The majority (85%) of sites are located at national referral or teaching pediatric hospitals in major urban centers with on-site laboratory capacity to identify bacterial pathogens.

Performance of Paediatric Bacterial Maningitis Surveillance 2009

Performance of Paediatric Bacterial Maningitis Surveillance 2008

[1] GAVI Alliance provides funding to support immunization activities and vaccine purchase in countries with an annual Gross National Income per capita of <$1000. In 2008, there were 36 GAVI eligible countries in the African Region.

[2] Information is available at http://netspear.org