This strategy emphasizes a broad child centered approach rather than focusing on a child's single disease or condition. Its aim is to reduce death and the frequency and severity of illness and disability and contribute to improved growth and development of children under five years of age. It will also enable policy-makers and district level managers make better informed decisions about budgeting and managing the delivery of child health services. Infection Disease Effective control of infectious diseases depends on surveillance systems that provide accurate and timely data. National surveillance systems provide information for determining priority actions on infectious diseases and making other public health decisions.
Surveillance systems are a critical component of the health sector's information system.
Improving national surveillance systems entails significant reforms at several levels - local health facilities, district health offices, regional health offices, and national level ministries and departments. Implementing such system wide change requires broad-based support for the objectives and methods of improved surveillance. PHR is developing an advocacy presentation and user guide that would highlight to policymakers the importance of using surveillance data for making program and policy decisions. The advocacy presentation and users' guide will address the improvement of national surveillance of infectious diseases.