Improving Dengue Surveillance: FETP Udayana Takes Action

• By Admin
• Jumat, 1 September 2023

In an ongoing effort to enhance public health practices and bolster the skills of future healthcare professionals, Field Epidemiology students, namely Ni Luh Ayu Sukmawathi and Putu Cita Anindika Restudiva, from the Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University (FK Unud), have embarked on a vital mission. Their mission? To assess and evaluate the implementation of the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DBD) surveillance and the Early Alert and Response System (SKDR) within the Klungkung District Health Service.

During the months of May and June in 2023, these diligent students uncovered critical issues within the surveillance system. Problems ranged from delays in collecting reports to inconsistencies in the operational definitions of cases among healthcare officers. Furthermore, the integration of the community health center network in executing surveillance was found to be suboptimal. Another concerning discovery was that not all healthcare officers had undergone prior training in DHF or SKDR surveillance, which rendered the dengue surveillance system ineffective.

In response to these findings, the students, in collaboration with their academic mentors on campus, including Dr. dr. Anak Agung Sagung Sawitri, MPH, and Dr. drh. I Made Subrata, M.Erg, as well as field supervisors, Dr. Ida Ayu Megawati, M.Kes, and I Wayan Sugihana Aradea, S. KM, M.PH, have initiated a comprehensive plan for system improvement.

As a vital next step, FETP Udayana students, together with their mentors and support from the Bali Provincial Health Service and the Klungkung District Health Service, convened a meeting of surveillance officers and dengue program administrators. The primary objective of this gathering was to enhance the knowledge and skill set of healthcare officers in executing effective surveillance measures.

This pivotal meeting took place on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, from 09:00 to 14:00, at the Klungkung District Health Service Meeting Room. Attendees included the Acting Head of the Klungkung District Health Service, representatives from the P2 Sector, the dengue fever program administrators, and surveillance officers from the Klungkung District Health Service. Distinguished individuals, such as Wayan Pujana, S.KM, M.PH, Chair of the Zoonoses Control Work Team for the Bali Provincial Health Service, and I Wayan Sugihana Aradea, S.KM, M.PH, SKDR surveillance manager for the Bali Provincial Health Service, served as valuable resource persons.

The event commenced with a comprehensive review of the performance of the SKDR surveillance and dengue fever program in Klungkung Regency, led by the Head of the P2 Division. This was followed by a presentation of the evaluation results of surveillance implementation by the FETP Udayana students, and insightful presentations from the resource persons. The meeting then transitioned into a lively discussion session, where the challenges faced by DHF program administrators and surveillance officers were openly addressed, and practical solutions were provided by the resource persons.

The gathering concluded with clear directives from the Acting Head of the Klungkung District Health Service. Looking ahead, the students are set to evaluate the implementation of DHF and SKDR surveillance in October and November. This hands-on experience not only serves as a valuable training ground for the future healthcare workforce but also underscores the productive collaboration between the Master of Science and Technology Study Program at FK Unud and the Health Service in addressing real-world challenges in the field of public health.