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Tag: IDSR

  • IDSR Epidemiological Bulletin – Week 46.

    IDSR Epidemiological Bulletin – Week 46.

    Malawi IDSR Infographic (Week 46, 2025)

    Editorial Team

    Dr. Matthews Kagoli • Mrs. Mtisunge Yelewa • Mr. Austin Zgambo • Mr. Sikhona Chipeta • Mr. James Jere • Mr. Noel Khunga

    Weekly IDSR Bulletin

    Epidemiological Week 46 (10-16 November, 2025)

    Published By

    Moses Nyambalo Phiri

    Public Health Institute of Malawi

    National Surveillance Performance

    The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system continues to perform strongly. In Week 46, reporting completeness reached 94.8%. However, Central Hospitals significantly underperformed at 50%, highlighting a critical need for data integration support at tertiary facilities.

    Reporting Completeness
    94.8%
    +0.4% vs Week 45
    Reporting Timeliness
    91.9%
    -2.4% vs Week 45
    Performance Analysis The Central West zone achieved near-perfect scores (99.4% completeness), while the North Zone maintained high standards (98.0%). The drop in timeliness suggests potential logistical or connectivity challenges in specific districts that need addressing.

    Priority Disease Alerts

    Malaria remains the highest burden (20,796 cases, 16 deaths). Notably, Rabies alerts saw a significant rise to 11 suspected cases this week.

    Alert Insights Diarrhoea with blood cases slightly decreased to 1,077 but remain high. SARI cases increased to 65 with 4 deaths, reinforcing the need for respiratory surveillance. Meningitis cases also rose slightly to 7.

    Outbreak Spotlight: Mpox

    Surveillance remains active with 3 new confirmed cases and 40 suspected alerts in Week 46. The cumulative confirmed total is now 139.

    Epidemic Curve

    Trend Analysis While the major wave has subsided, the occurrence of 3 new cases indicates persistent low-level transmission. Continued vigilance and contact tracing are essential to prevent a resurgence.

    Demographic Impact

    Recovery Status 131 cases (94.2%) have successfully recovered. Currently, active management involves isolating confirmed cases to break chains of transmission.

    Outbreak Spotlight: Measles

    Measles outbreaks are evolving. While Balaka remains the epicenter, Machinga and Nsanje have seen increases in case numbers (24 and 22 respectively). Total cases: 126.

    Geographic Clusters

    Hotspots The rise in cases in Nsanje (22) and Machinga (24) signals widening local transmission in the Southern region, requiring intensified vaccination campaigns.

    Vaccination Status

    Data Gap The majority of cases still have unknown vaccination status. Strengthening routine immunization data capture is critical for outbreak analysis.

    Event-Based Surveillance (EBS)

    39 signals were reported this week. The risk profile has diversified, now identifying events classified as Very High Risk (2) and Very Low Risk (1).

    1

    Detection

    39 signals reported (Decrease from 49 in Wk 45).

    2

    Verification

    9 signals (23.1%) verified as genuine public health events.

    3

    Response

    2 Very High Risk events identified requiring urgent intervention.

    Risk Profile Breakdown

    Signal Triage 30 signals (77%) remain unclassified. The presence of “Very High” risk signals emphasizes the importance of the verification process.
    Download Official Bulletin (PDF)

    © 2025 Public Health Institute of Malawi. All Rights Reserved.

  • IDSR Epidemiological Bulletin – Week 45.

    IDSR Epidemiological Bulletin – Week 45.

    Malawi IDSR Infographic (Week 45, 2025)

    Editorial Team

    Dr. Matthews Kagoli • Mrs. Mtisunge Yelewa • Mr. Austin Zgambo • Mr. Sikhona Chipeta • Mr. James Jere • Mr. Noel Khunga

    Weekly IDSR Bulletin

    Epidemiological Week 45 (November, 2025)

    Published By

    Moses Nyambalo Phiri

    Public Health Institute of Malawi

    National Surveillance Performance

    The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system serves as the backbone of Malawi’s public health security. In Week 45, the system maintained high reporting standards, ensuring timely data for rapid decision-making.

    Reporting Completeness
    94.4%
    -3.3% vs Week 44
    Reporting Timeliness
    94.3%
    +4.8% vs Week 44
    Performance Analysis The North Zone set the benchmark with 98.7% reporting rates. While the national average remains strong, targeted interventions are required for Central Hospitals, which reported at 75%, slightly below the 80% national target.

    Priority Disease Alerts

    Beyond Malaria (20,110 cases), the system actively tracked several critical conditions. Immediate investigations were launched for all alerts to prevent community spread.

    Alert Insights Bloody Diarrhoea triggered the highest volume of alerts (1,122 cases), necessitating water quality assessments. SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infections) showed a concerning mortality rate (6 deaths among 44 cases), highlighting the severity of current respiratory pathogens.

    Outbreak Spotlight: Mpox

    Containment efforts are showing success. Zero new confirmed cases were reported this week, though surveillance remains heightened with 25 suspected alerts investigated.

    Epidemic Curve

    Trend Analysis Transmission has significantly slowed following the peak in August/September. The flatlining curve in November indicates effective containment strategies.

    Demographic Impact

    Risk Groups The outbreak has disproportionately affected economically active groups: Business persons (25%), Students (22%), and Miners (21%).

    Outbreak Spotlight: Measles

    Active response continues for localized measles clusters. A total of 117 cases have been managed since August, with vaccination campaigns intensified in affected districts.

    Geographic Clusters

    Hotspots Balaka District accounts for >50% of all cases (62 cases), identifying it as the primary priority area for supplementary immunization activities.

    Vaccination Status

    Data Gap 75% of cases have an unknown vaccination history. This data gap is a critical challenge for verifying vaccine efficacy vs. coverage failure.

    Event-Based Surveillance (EBS)

    Community engagement has surged, with reported signals tripling from the previous week (14 to 49). This demonstrates improved sensitivity at the community level.

    1

    Detection

    49 signals reported by community members and health workers.

    2

    Verification

    11 signals (22%) verified as genuine public health events; 38 pending or discarded.

    3

    Response

    3 High Risk events triggered immediate RRT deployment. 6 Moderate, 2 Low.

    Risk Profile Breakdown

    Signal Triage The high number of “Unclassified” signals (78%) suggests a need for faster initial verification protocols to clear the backlog.
    Download Official Bulletin (PDF)

    © 2025 Public Health Institute of Malawi. All Rights Reserved.

  • IDSR Bulletin Epi-Week 43.

    PHIM IDSR Bulletin Summary (Epi-Week 43)

    IDSR Bulletin Epi-Week 43

    Editorial Team: Dr. Matthews Kagoli, Mrs. Mtisunge Yelewa, Mr. Austin Zgambo, Mr. Sikhona Chipeta, Mr. James Jere, and Mr. Noel Khunga

    Publisher: Moses Nyambalo Phiri

    Published on October 30, 2025

    Summary of Surveillance (Oct 20-26, 2025)

    The latest Weekly IDSR Epidemiological Bulletin from the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) highlights robust surveillance activity for Epi-Week 43. Our Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system continues to operate effectively, providing critical, timely data to guide the national public health response. This week’s key focus included monitoring a persistent Mpox threat and maintaining high standards for outbreak detection across the country.

    Spotlight: Mpox Activity and Event-Based Signals

    A significant portion of the week’s effort was dedicated to addressing multiple alerts concerning diseases of public health importance. Event-Based Surveillance (EBS), which captures information on potential threats reported outside routine channels, generated 42 signals requiring immediate investigation by District Rapid Response Teams (DRRTs).

    Priority Alert

    4

    New Confirmed Mpox Cases

    Investigation Status

    56

    Mpox Alerts Reported

    High Vigilance

    1

    Cholera Alert Reported

    Other critical alerts managed included Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) (38 cases, including 4 deaths), Diarrhoea with blood (1,023 cases), Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) (112 cases), and Maternal Deaths (2 deaths). The consistent reporting of these events underscores the importance of maintaining strong vigilance at the community and facility levels.

    IDSR Performance Metrics

    Performance of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, tracked via the One Health Surveillance Platform (OHSP), remains robust, though targeted improvements are required.

    87.2%

    IDSR Completeness

    84.9%

    IDSR Timeliness

    Key Directives and Call to Action

    To maintain and enhance the integrity of our surveillance data and response capability, the following action points have been issued to stakeholders across the health system:

    • Data Quality & Timeliness: Health facility focal persons and data clerks must improve the timely verification and validation of data entered into the OHSP. Specific districts (Kamuzu Central Hospital, Dowa DHO, Mulanje DHO) are urged to improve reporting timeliness.
    • EBS Improvement: All districts must strengthen Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) signal detection and reporting.
    • Immediate Response: District Rapid Response Teams (DRRTs) are mandated to conduct risk assessments for all verified signals (events) without delay.
    • Measles Immunity: The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) must strengthen routine immunization coverage and outreach strategies to enhance population immunity and reduce the incidence of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
    • Digital Health: Collaboration with the Digital Health team is ongoing to address the issue of server downtime, which negatively impacts reporting timeliness.

    The Public Health Institute of Malawi remains committed to transparent and effective disease surveillance. We acknowledge the commendable efforts of all districts and health facilities whose dedication is vital to protecting the health of the nation. For more details, stakeholders are encouraged to refer to the full IDSR Bulletin (Volume 4, Issue 43 of 2025).

    Read the Official Bulletin →