Community Health Volunteer's Training Manual - Population Council

Unit 2
Community Based Surveillance
Introduction
Community Based Surveillance
Diseases, especially epidemic diseases, can occur suddenly. When they occur they may cause
deaths within a very short time. Diseases like meningitis and cholera are such diseases. They
can spread very fast and kill many people unless they are detected early. Others may kill only
a few people but rather disable many people. Poliomyelitis and Leprosy can cause severe
disability unless they are detected early. As a volunteer you have to be informed about the
life-threatening and common diseases that can affect your community, as well as how to
collect data on them and mobilise your community to initiate action.
Unit Objectives Unit Topics
By the end of this Unit, the volunteer will be able to:
1. Describe the concept of community surveillance
2. List the tools for collecting data at the community level
3. Demonstrate simple calculations using data
4. Identify systems for reporting data
5. Discuss the importance of record keeping and
documentation
1. Data collection tools
2. Data compilation and analysis
3. Data Reporting and utilisation
Keywords and Phrases:
Surveillance, community, Report, Monitoring, Evaluation, priorities, analysed, factual, relevance
Topic 1 Community-based surveillance
Meaning of CBS
Have you ever heard the abbreviation “CBS”? What does it word stand for? Who can explain
what Community Based Surveillance is? Explain this in relation to what happens or how
this is done in your community or what you see happening in your community. Below is an
exercise to help you understand CBS–Exercise 2.2.1.
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