PAHO trains professionals on the use of epidemic intelligence tools for signal detection

Participants Workshop on the use of epidemic intelligence tools for signal detection - October 2022

Panama City, Panama. 26 October 2022 (PAHO) – In order to strengthen surveillance of public health risks and threats in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) held two workshops on the "Use of epidemic intelligence tools for signal detection." The event took place in Panama from October 19–21 for Spanish-speaking countries and from October 24-26 for English-speaking countries. 

These workshops aimed to improve tools and processes to implement event-based surveillance (EBV) in the Americas and showcase the importance of health intelligence for rapid threat detection.

Professionals from various sectors of the health and communication fields, including infectious disease surveillance, event-based surveillance, health emergencies, and monitoring were trained in various tools such as the Epidemic Intelligence through Open Sources (EIOS) system and participated in practical applications of these tools. 

During the event, Member States representatives and panelists also shared experiences and knowledge, discussed the challenges facing the Region in this area and agreed on the next steps to ensure the sustainability of efforts to strengthen event-based surveillance in the Americas, establishing coordination processes for collaboration.