Surveillance systems evaluation: a systematic review of the existing approaches

International audienceBackground: Regular and relevant evaluations of surveillance systems are essential to improve their performance and cost-effectiveness. With this in mind several organizations have developed evaluation approaches to facilitate the design and implementation of these evaluations. Methods: In order to identify and to compare the advantages and limitations of these approaches, we implemented a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Results: After applying exclusion criteria and identifying other additional documents via citations, 15 documents were retained. These were analysed to assess the field (public or animal health) and the type of surveillance systems targeted; the development process; the objectives; the evaluation process and its outputs; and the attributes covered. Most of the approaches identified were general and provided broad recommendations for evaluation. Several common steps in the evaluation process were identified: (i) defining the surveillance system under evaluation, (ii) designing the evaluation process, (iii) implementing the evaluation, and (iv) drawing conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions: A lack of information regarding the identification and selection of methods and tools to assess the evaluation attributes was highlighted; as well as a lack of consideration of economic attributes and sociological aspects

Surveillance in Corsica Island : a Mediterranean Lab

International audienceCorsica is a French island located in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea. Traditional husbandry practices (e.g. free-ranging grazing), widespread wildlife populations, biophysical conditions ("Hot-summer Mediterranean" climate, mountainous ecosystems) and trade activities make this island vulnerable to the risk of emerging diseases. Corsica Island could therefore be used as sentinel area for surveillance of exotic diseases in South-western Europe. Its endemism, endogenous domestic and wild species, should be strongly protected from exotic diseases