The Secretariat of the Pacific Community has mobilised a team of health surveillance specialists to help authorities in Samoa with public health surveillance at this week's Small Island Developing States conference.
240414. Photo RNZ. Samoa Photo: RNZ
The Director of the SPC's Public Health Division, Yvan Souarès, says large conferences like SIDS come with a high risk of diseases like dengue, measles and chikungunya spreading, and then being taken to other regions of the world.
Dr Souarès says the surveillance system is designed to rapidly detect any suspected cases of infectious diseases and other public health risks, and promptly initiate control measures.
This enhanced surveillance system, which started last week, will continue during the one-week period of the SIDS Conference and for one week after it.
