Publications by authors named "Viema Biaukula"
Article Synopsis
- - The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a strong public health intelligence (PHI) system to detect and assess acute global health threats, guided by the International Health Regulations (2005).
- - PHI involves four main steps: detection, verification, risk assessment, and reporting, which are carried out continuously at WHO's headquarters and regional offices.
- - As public health risks increase globally, a diverse team is essential for effective PHI operations, making it a critical component of the global health framework.
Epidemiology of dengue reported in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region, 2013-2019.
Western Pac Surveill Response J
April 2023
Article Synopsis
- The global burden of dengue increased significantly over 20 years, with around 70% of cases occurring in Asia, as of 2019.
- In the Western Pacific Region, reported dengue cases rose from 430,023 in 2013 to over 1 million in 2019, highlighting a concerning trend in outbreak frequency.
- The report emphasizes the need for improved dengue surveillance systems to monitor the disease effectively, especially following the introduction of new serotypes that have led to outbreaks in previously unaffected areas.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presented a unique opportunity for the World Health Organization (WHO) to utilise public health intelligence (PHI) for pandemic response. WHO systematically captured mainly unstructured information (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTool for tracking all-cause mortality and estimating excess mortality to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Western Pac Surveill Response J
October 2022
Problem: Quantifying mortality from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is difficult, especially in countries with limited resources. Comparing mortality data between countries is also challenging, owing to differences in methods for reporting mortality.
Context: Tracking all-cause mortality (ACM) and comparing it with expected ACM from pre-pandemic data can provide an estimate of the overall burden of mortality related to the COVID-19 pandemic and support public health decision-making.
Objective: To assess the performance of an early warning, alert and response system (EWARS) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) - EWARS in a Box - that was used to detect and control disease outbreaks after Cyclone Winston caused destruction in Fiji on 20 February 2016.
Methods: Immediately after the cyclone, Fiji's Ministry of Health and Medical Services, supported by WHO, started to implement EWARS in a Box, which is a smartphone-based, automated, early warning surveillance system for rapid deployment during health emergencies. Both indicator-based and event-based surveillance were employed.
Introduction: Influenza-associated severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) are a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality. In response to a cluster of SARI cases and deaths in pregnant women, with two deceased cases testing positive for influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, an investigation was initiated to determine whether there was an increase of paediatric SARI cases admitted to divisional hospital intensive care units in Fiji in may 2016 compared to May 2013-2015.
Methods: Retrospective case finding was conducted at the paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in Fiji's three divisional hospitals.
Lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme.
Western Pac Surveill Response J
May 2018
Problem: The Pacific region has widely dispersed populations, limited financial and human resources and a high burden of disease. There is an urgent need to improve the availability, reliability and timeliness of useable health data.
Context: The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme that was designed to respond to these Pacific health challenges.
Background: In 2014, we investigated a cluster of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in Fiji that occurred during a dengue epidemic. We designed a case-control study to determine the etiology.
Methods: Cases were patients meeting Brighton Collaboration criteria for GBS with onset from February 2014 to May 2014.
Article Synopsis
- The Pacific Syndromic Surveillance System (PSSS) was established in 2010 to help 121 sites in 21 Pacific island nations detect infectious disease outbreaks early through routine surveillance.
- An evaluation, including interviews and data analysis, shows that while the PSSS is valuable and improves early warning capabilities, challenges like reporting timeliness and data quality remain.
- For the PSSS to be sustainable in a low-resource environment, a balance between simplicity and technological advancements must be achieved.
Risk posed by the Ebola epidemic to the Pacific islands: findings of a recent World Health Organization assessment.
Western Pac Surveill Response J
May 2016
Objective: To assess the public health risk posed by the ongoing Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic in West Africa to Pacific island countries and areas and to highlight priority risk management actions for preparedness and response.
Method: The likelihood of EVD importation and the magnitude of public health impact in Pacific island countries and areas were assessed to determine overall risk. Literature about the hazard, epidemiology, exposure and contextual factors associated with EVD was collected and reviewed.
Objectives: To describe the etiology, epidemiology, neurological sequelae, and quality of life of children aged 1 month to less than 5 years admitted with meningitis to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH), Suva, Fiji.
Methods: Over a 3-year period, all eligible children with suspected meningitis admitted to CWMH had blood drawn for culture. Of these children, those for whom is was possible were tested for a four-fold rise in antibody titers to Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA).