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Objectives
 To
enhance the preparedness; to tackle the threat of emerging diseases through
strengthened epidemiological surveillance, outbreak
alert and response;
To
intensify control of priority communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB and
malaria by working more in an integrated manner; and
To
eliminate/eradicate diseases such as leprosy, yaws, kala-azar
and lymphatic filariasis.
Given the scarce resources available in the region,
prioritization has to be done in choosing the infectious disease for control,
elimination or eradication. The following important considerations are used
in the prioritization of communicable diseases;
Criteria for
prioritization
Diseases
that produce an adverse impact on morbidity, disability or mortality like TB,
malaria, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoea and pneumonia are
considered important.
Diseases
that occur as epidemics or have an epidemic potential are a priority e.g.
cholera, influenza, meningitis.
There
is potential for effective control through available interventions that are
cost effective.
Information
and data available on the disease is convincing to initiate public health
actions
Disease
that could be specifically targeted for control, elimination or eradication
based on at international consensus. This can be global or regional
consensus.
Examples of regional consensus can be DHF, eliminion of kala azar and control of dengue.
To realize the vision, the CDS department is organized
into three different major units.
Organization of
department
a) emerging
diseases: preparedness, surveillance and response
b) prevention
and control of priority communicable diseases (HIV/AIDS,TB and malaria)and
c) elimination and eradication of communicable diseases
(leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, kala
azar and yaws).
Besides these three broad areas, there are many cross
cutting areas like, strengthening of public health laboratories and
containment of antimicrobial drug resistance, data management, and
communication and information exchange. The department works closely with
other departments for mainstreaming of its activities. In this document,
prevention of communicable diseases by vaccination and management of
communicable diseases of young children like diarrhea and acute respiratory
infections are not included since these are addressed by other
departments/units in the regional office.
The department works in a collaborative fashion with other
WHO programmes in the regional offices and together
with country offices which are now mainly responsible for providing technical
support to the member countries. Partnership building with various
stakeholders such as governments, academic institutions, civil society, and
multi- and bi-lateral agencies who share a common goal of alleviating
suffering from the humanity and reducing morbidity and mortality and
improving the quality of life particularly of the poor and disadvantaged
sections of the society. Equity in access to health services and protection
of the vulnerable populations by scaling up effective interventions would be
other guiding principles that would guide action of the CDS department.
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