As global health systems push for stronger early warning mechanisms, timely detection of public health threats at the community level remains essential—especially in island and border regions where response time is critical.
In July 2025, targeted Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) trainings were conducted in Unguja and Pemba to enhance the ability of frontline health workers to capture, verify, and respond to unusual health events using Tanzania’s electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eIDSR) system.
Facilitated by national trainers with technical support from the UDSM DHIS2 Lab, the sessions equipped Community Health Workers (CHWs), healthcare providers, and lead epidemiologists with hands-on experience in managing EBS alerts, linking them to indicator-based case records, and using dashboards for rapid decision-making.
The training also addressed practical challenges such as SMS connectivity, user access, and device readiness for CHWs.
This initiative marks a critical step toward strengthening Zanzibar’s digital health surveillance ecosystem—ensuring that no early signal goes unnoticed, and that communities are protected through real-time data and coordinated response.