Establishment and Development of the Disease Surveillance System

Disease surveillance is the long-term, continuous, systematic collection of information about diseases and their relevant influencing factors, followed by analysis of the data in a timely manner to guide intervention measures and evaluate their effectiveness. This definition reflects the three basic characteristics of disease surveillance: (1) distributions and trends of diseases can be evaluated only through long-term, continuous, systematic collection of data; (2) original data can be translated to valuable information only through analysis and interpretation of the data; and (3) results can be fully utilized in the real world only after information is provided back to the relevant departments and personnel – hence the importance of timely feedback.