Strengthening disease surveillance through SORMAS training and supportive supervision

Disease surveillance is a critical aspect of global health security, helping countries understand disease threats so they can better respond to outbreaks so they can be better contained. In 2019, Ghana Health Service (GHS) adopted and adapted SORMAS—its electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) tool—to effectively manage cholera, meningitis, COVID-19, Marburg, mpox, and yellow fever outbreaks in Ghana.

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To ensure a smooth transition from legacy systems and the effective use of SORMAS, CHISU has supported GHS with SORMAS implementation by providing training and enhancing governance structures. As SORMAS has become an integral part of disease surveillance in Ghana,  there is greater need to ensure that the system is collecting high-quality data. GHS launched a comprehensive training initiative for Deputy Directors of Public Health (and District Directors of Health Services) to improve officials’ capacity  to use SORMAS data for supervision and decision-making, ultimately resulting in timely, data-driven public health interventions. CHISU primarily supports training in six regions of Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, North East, Savannah and Western North reaching: 

• 16 Deputy Directors of Public Health 
• All 51 District Directors of Health Services 
• 30 regional officers 

In addition to managers and supervisors, the GHS trained 35 surveillance officers from 5 teaching hospitals (Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ho Teaching Hospital, and Tamale Teaching Hospital) and 3 specialized hospitals (University of Ghana Medical Center, Ghana Police Hospital, and 37 Military Hospital).

CHISU has also championed good governance to help sustain progress, including development of:

• Standard operating procedures to provide clear guidelines for uniform processes
• Data  quality assurance plans to ensure the integrity and accuracy of disease surveillance data
• The SORMAS transition Plan, a strategic roadmap for GHS to fully integrate and take ownership of SORMAS

To enhance SORMAS’s continuous improvement and sustained impact, CHISU provides ongoing supportive supervision, regular system evaluations, and data quality assessments. CHISU also plans to include online training platforms and regular refresher training for both surveillance officers and supervisors so users are updated on new SORMAS features, procedures, and best practices. This training and governance support is helping build a strong foundation for a more effective and resilient disease surveillance system in Ghana.