Profiling border health surveillance at selected points of entry in Uganda

Abstract

Introduction: Surveillance of notifiable diseases at Points of Entry (PoE), such as airports and ground crossing borders has become increasingly important in light of the ravaging epidemics and pandemics. As Uganda shifted its focus to other infectious diseases at different PoE, documenting reporting tendencies was essential to inform public health decisions. Methods: A cross-sectional study using both secondary and primary data was conducted at 53 PoE during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data was obtained from the electronic Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) system, and monthly aggregated data was used to determine the PoE that were consistently reporting from September 2021 to February 2022. All PoE were thereafter subjected to an online survey to assess some of the factors that led to a high performance of those that constantly reported. Results: Fourteen PoE (26.4%) had consistently submitted their reports in the e-IDSR system over the six months. Of the 14, 8 were high volume PoE, 3 were medium volume, and 3 low volume PoE. One PoE had regularly zero reported for the six months. Twenty-five PoE had consistently submitted their reports for five months than the six months expected output that was considered. Of the 53 PoE targeted for the online survey, 16 responded, and 9 were among the 14 that constantly reported. Out of the 9, 5 were high volume PoE, 8 were able to submit their report directly in the e-IDSR system, and 7 had internet connection accessible from the PoE. Significantly more POE that consistently reported had only 1 reporting tool compared to those POEs that didn't report consistently (p=0.04). Similarly, more POE that consistently reported had internet access and POE owned reporting gadgets compared to those that didn't report consistently (p=0.049 and p=0.048 respectively). Conclusion: Reporting is important for surveillance and informs timely decision-making and action in the prevention, detection, and response to Public Health Emergencies. Limiting the number of reporting tools and the support received by PoE staff in terms equipment, and logistics remain key factors that influence reporting.