BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM:
Event-based Disease Surveillance, Preparedness and Response. The Event-based Surveillance (EBS) Team serves as CDC’s program dedicated to detecting and monitoring global public health events of international importance by conducting internet event-based surveillance (EBS), which is the organized collection, monitoring, assessment, and interpretation of mainly unstructured ad hoc information regarding health events or risks that may represent an acute risk to public health. Through a team of analysts, the EBS Team routinely reviews and assesses both official reports and unconfirmed media reports, stories, rumors, and other information about health events that could be a serious risk to public health. The EBS Team’s international partners and collaborators include but are not limited to agencies affiliated with WHO and the UN, collaborating countries’ ministries of health and agriculture, humanitarian organizations, and animal health organizations. If assistance is requested by the country or region experiencing an outbreak, information is exchanged to identify and confirm outbreaks, gather epidemiologic information, and launch joint responses in collaboration with CDC’s Global Health Center.
TYPE OF ASSISTANCE:
The EBS Team supports the investigation of outbreaks at the earliest stages, often before the cause is determined. Since 2007 and as of 22 April 2024, the EBS Team has monitored and reported over 1,567 unique outbreaks of more than 181 diseases occurring in over 244 countries and territories.
TIMING:
These activities are ongoing.
SPECIFIC COUNTRIES OF INTEREST OR OTHER RELEVANT CRITERIA FOR ASSISTANCE:
Assistance is available worldwide. No language requirements. CDC’s searchable directory lists the diverse language skills of CDC staff. FREQUENCY: Programmatic activities are funded annually.
