The Global Health Observatory

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Global Health Observatory
Associated Indicators
Existence of national policies on saturated fatty acids / trans-fats
Short name:
Outbreak Detection and Response
Data type:
Count, Proportion
Topic:
Outbreak Detection and Response
Rationale:
Tracking the timeliness of outbreak response is critical to ensuring the detection, confirmation, and outbreak response vaccination campaign occur promptly. Also, it ensures the effective allocation of vaccines and other resources in places where they are most needed, preventing shortages and delays in critical care. Further, it helps identify gaps in response protocols, refine vaccine distribution plans or emergency preparedness frameworks, improve training for healthcare personnel, and foster international collaboration.
Definition:
Proportion/Number of polio, measles, meningococcal disease, yellow fever, cholera, and Ebola outbreaks* with timely** detection and response

*Only applies to outbreaks for which there is an outbreak response vaccination campaign.

**Acceptable time from onset of outbreak to campaign implementation to be defined for each disease

Associated terms:
+ Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPDs): Diseases that can be prevented by immunization, including those monitored by this indicator (e.g., polio, measles).

+ Outbreak: An unexpected increase in disease cases in a particular population or area over a defined period.

+ Timely Detection: Identification of an outbreak within a defined number of days from the first case or signal (varies by disease).

+ Timely Response: Implementation of a response — specifically a vaccination campaign — within an acceptable time window after detection.

+ Outbreak Response Vaccination (ORV): A vaccination campaign initiated to control or stop the spread of disease during an outbreak.

+ Latency Period (Outbreak): The time between outbreak onset and its official detection or confirmation.

Disaggregation:
+ WHO Region

+ VPD Types

+ Timely vs delayed

+ Year

Method of measurement
Information from the International Coordinating Group on vaccine provision, Measles Rubella Initiative, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and WHO World Health Emergencies group, supplemented by national immunization and disease surveillance programs via the WHO/UNICEF Joint Reporting Form.
Method of estimation:
Calculation of indicator:

Proportion of polio, measles, meningococcal disease, yellow fever, cholera, and Ebola outbreaks with timely detection and response = (Total number of known polio, measles, meningococcal disease, yellow fever, cholera, and Ebola outbreaks with timely detection and outbreak response vaccination campaigns) / (Total number of known polio, measles, meningococcal disease, yellow fever, cholera, and Ebola outbreaks with outbreak response vaccination campaigns) x 100.

Numerator: Number of outbreaks with both timely detection and response

Denominator: Total outbreaks with ORV for that disease

Definition of timeliness of detection and response:

Time from onset of first case onset of paralysis to start of outbreak response vaccination campaign:

+ Polio (WPV): 63 days

+ Polio (cVDPV): 63 days

Time from first case onset of symptoms to start of outbreak response vaccination campaign:

+ Measles (non-endemic countries): 69 days

+ Ebola: 51 days

+ Yellow Fever: 86 days

Time Incidence crosses epidemic threshold to start of outbreak response vaccination campaign:

+ Measles (endemic countries): 35 days

+ Cholera: 27 days

+ Meningococcus: 27 days

Preferred data sources:
ICG, MRI, GPEI, WHO, national immunization and disease surveillanceprograms. Information will be systematically collected from nationalimmunization and disease surveillance programs to provide data forregional and global level data
Unit of Measure:
Percent (%) and Number
Unit Multiplier:
100
Expected frequency of data collection:
Annual
Contact person email:
vpdata@who.int
Name:
vpdata
Data Type Representation:
Integer
IMRID:
4684
Limitations:
+ Incomplete or delayed reporting of outbreak onset and vaccination campaign dates

+ Varying national definitions of “detection”

+ Only includes outbreaks with vaccination response — excludes those without ORV even if detection was timely

+ Some outbreaks may be small or contained without vaccine response, hence excluded

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