Scaling Up Electronic Case-Based Disease Surveillance in Sierra Leone

Strategic Insights -

Efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the implementation of electronic case-based disease surveillance (eCBDS) in Sierra Leone. According to a new study, the country has seen significant improvements in data collection and disease tracking, but more work is needed to ensure widespread adoption. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been instrumental in providing capacity building and antigen rapid diagnostic kits (RDTs) to support the initiative. As a result, the number of health facilities using eCBDS has increased from 27% to 58% between June 2021 and May 2024.

Key Takeaways:

  • The use of eCBDS has improved significantly in Sierra Leone, with 58% of health facilities now using the system, up from 27% in June 2021.
  • The total number of cases reported in eCBDS from January 2019 to May 2024 was 54,794, with 44,908 (82%) of these being suspected COVID-19 cases.
  • Of the reported cases, 7,634 (17%) were confirmed positive, highlighting the effectiveness of the system in identifying and tracking COVID-19 cases.
  • Before the training, 97.3% of suspected COVID-19 cases were notified to the district by the health facilities within 24 hours, and this improved slightly to 98.1% afterwards.
  • Case investigation with sample collection within 24 hours of notification improved from 91.6 to 98.2% before and after the training, respectively.

Statistics:

  • 58% of health facilities in Sierra Leone are now using eCBDS, up from 27% in June 2021.
  • 54,794 cases were reported in eCBDS from January 2019 to May 2024.
  • 44,908 (82%) of suspected COVID-19 cases were reported, with 7,634 (17%) confirmed positive.
  • 97.3% of suspected COVID-19 cases were notified to the district by the health facilities within 24 hours before the training, and this improved to 98.1% afterwards.
  • Case investigation with sample collection within 24 hours of notification improved from 91.6 to 98.2% before and after the training, respectively.

Sources:

  • Scaling up of electronic case-based disease surveillance reporting for COVID-19 and other notifiable diseases through capacity building and antigen RDT provision: a case study of Sierra Leone. Frontiers in Public Health, 2025;13:1574116.
  • NewsRx. World Health Organization (WHO) Reports Findings in COVID-19 (Scaling up of electronic case-based disease surveillance reporting for COVID-19 and other notifiable diseases through capacity building and antigen RDT provision: a case study of ...). Information Technology Newsweekly. June 10, 2025; p 10.