Mapping the global public health intelligence landscape: a multiregional cross-sectional survey

TL;DR

This study maps global public health intelligence teams to improve collaboration and threat detection by analyzing their activities and challenges.

Contribution

The paper provides the first comprehensive global survey of public health intelligence teams, highlighting their roles and opportunities for collaboration.

Findings

132 public health intelligence teams from 87 countries were identified, primarily in public health institutions and ministries.

Most teams focus on communicable diseases and antimicrobial resistance, with significant interest in capacity building and networking.

Only 43% of teams are part of early event detection networks, indicating a need for improved coordination and resource sharing.

Abstract

Public health intelligence (PHI) allows for timely detection of public health threats. Exchange and close cooperation between PHI teams are crucial for early threat detection and standards harmonization, yet a comprehensive overview documenting their activities is lacking. We aimed to enhance mutual awareness and collaboration possibilities by mapping and characterizing PHI teams.

We developed and distributed an online survey through network sampling (June-November 2023) via regional Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC, ECDC, US CDC), the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), the Robert Koch-Institute, and the World Health Organization (WHO). We identified and described PHI teams and their activities, including implementation of PHI processes, workforce, capacity building, priorities and perspectives on challenges and opportunities, by WHO regions and type of institution.

We identified 132 PHI teams from 87 countries in all regions, primarily in public health institutions (40%, 53/132) and ministries (27%, 35/132). Potential public health threats are monitored at national (39%, 51/132), international (20%, 26/132), and both levels (42%, 55/132). Most teams (89%, 114/128) integrate indicator-based and event-based surveillance. Teams focus mainly on human communicable diseases (95%, 125/132), healthcare-associated infections/antimicrobial resistance (66%, 87/132) and health in natural disasters (64%, 85/132). Nearly half of the teams (43%, 50/117) are not part of early event detection networks. All teams based in regional public health institutions (7/7) and United Nations (UN) institutions (10/10) are able to scale up their activities if needed. More than half of the teams (59%, 71/120) provide training activities on early detection. There is a strong interest in capacity building and networking.

PHI teams worldwide perform partially overlapping tasks, suggesting benefits from broader exchange. The interest in trainings and networking underscores the need for platforms supporting exchange, peer-to-peer cooperation and capacity building. International partner institutions are key in fostering global development of PHI.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-25406-0.

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