Event-Based Surveillance at Community and Healthcare Facilities, Vietnam, 2016-2017.

Surveillance and outbreak reporting systems in Vietnam required improvements to function effectively as early warning and response systems. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, launched a pilot project in 2016 focusing on community and hospital event-based surveillance. The pilot was implemented in 4 of Vietnam's 63 provinces.

Establishing a field epidemiology elective for medical students in Kenya: a strategy for increasing public health awareness and workforce capacity.

Medical students have limited exposure to field epidemiology, even though will assume public health roles after graduation. We established a 10-week elective in field epidemiology during medical school. Students attended one-week didactic sessions on epidemiology, and nine weeks in field placement sites.

Prevalence of nodding syndrome--Uganda, 2012-2013.

Nodding syndrome (NS) is a seizure disorder of unknown etiology, predominately affecting children aged 3-18 years in three sub-Saharan countries (Uganda, South Sudan, and Tanzania), with the primary feature of episodic head nodding. These episodes are thought to be one manifestation of a syndrome that includes neurologic deterioration, cognitive impairment, and additional seizure types. NS investigations have focused on clinical features, progression, and etiology; however, none have provided a population-based prevalence assessment using a standardized case definition.

Logistics of Guinea worm disease eradication in South Sudan.

From 2006 to 2012, the South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program reduced new Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) cases by over 90%, despite substantial programmatic challenges. Program logistics have played a key role in program achievements to date. The program uses disease surveillance and program performance data and integrated technical-logistical staffing to maintain flexible and effective logistical support for active community-based surveillance and intervention delivery in thousands of remote communities.

Estimation of population coverage for antibiotic distribution for trachoma control: a comparison of methods.

Trachoma control includes mass drug administration (MDA) with antibiotics targeting coverage of at least 80%. Coverage is traditionally calculated by dividing doses distributed by population estimate, which is unreliable. We compared a verifiable coverage assessment method against self-reported participation and the traditional calculation, and examined factors associated with MDA participation in Akobo County, Southern Sudan.

Examining Media Habits: implications for health promotion programs among the Toposa in Southern Sudan.

Dissemination of appropriate health education messages is essential to any health promotion campaign. This cross-sectional study examined media ownership, access and media preferences by target groups in Kapoeta South County, Southern Sudan. The target groups were segmented into household heads (n = 368); women with children under five years (n = 580); and youth 11-16 years old (n = 349).

Risk factors for trachomatous trichiasis in children: cross-sectional household surveys in Southern Sudan.

We have previously documented blinding trachoma to be a serious public health problem in Southern Sudan, with an unusually high prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) among children. We aimed to investigate risk factors for TT in children in Southern Sudan. Cross-sectional surveys were undertaken in 11 districts between 2001 and 2006, and eligible participants were examined for trachoma signs.