Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Vol. 2(6). pp. 125-129, September 2010 Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/JPHE ISSN 2141-2316 ©2010 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Disease surveillance and reporting in two Southwestern states in Nigeria: Logistic challenges and prospects M. D. Dairo, J. O. Bamidele and W. O. Adebimpe Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Accepted 20 June, 2010 Disease surveillance has been recognized as an effective strategy in the control and prevention of diseases most especially communicable diseases. An effective surveillance system allows early intervention for the prevention and reduction of the mortality and morbidity that may result from epidemics of communicable diseases. This study assesses the adequacy of training of disease surveillance and notification officers (DSN) officers and identifies the logistic factors that may hinder their effective functioning in the local government areas in the Ekiti and Osun States in Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study of the disease surveillance and notification officers in Osun and Ekiti states of Nigeria was carried out. Total sampling was done. Questionnaires sought information on demographic data, regularity of reporting and the availability of logistic facilities in the respective local government areas (LGAs). Out of 42 DSN officers surveyed, 38 (90.5%) were medical records officers. 32 (76.2%) had appropriate training in disease surveillance and notification. Most had received training from the WHO. Over 90% knew the process of reporting. 45.8% reported that there were penalties for defaulting officers. Logistic support was inadequate in more than half of the local governments surveyed. Inadequate funds and lack of surveillance forms were significantly associated with reporting of outbreaks by the officers. Only 13 of the officers had ever recorded episodes of epidemics in their LGAs. Majority of DSN officers had appropriate training on disease surveillance, reporting and notification. However, logistics for effective functioning was poor. Local and state governments need to put more effort into provision of logistic support for their DSN Officers to sustain the apparent improvement in surveillance activities. Key words: Surveillance, logistic support, training, epidemics. INTRODUCTION Disease surveillance, notification and reporting have been defined as the continuous scrutiny of the occurrence of diseases and health related events to enable intervention for the control of diseases (CDC, 2009). Levels of surveillance can be individual, local, national and international. Most surveillance systems depend on the information on the occurrence of diseases obtained from health care providers, hospitals, clinics diagnostic laboratories and research laboratories. National surveillance systems often depend on a district level surveillance department for the collection of data *Corresponding author. E-mail: drdairo@yahoo.com. Tel: 08035664708. (CDC, 2009). Effective national and international surveillance for diseases therefore requires efficient and effective local or district surveillance department. In Nigeria, surveillance and notification involves immediate notification of eleven diseases and routine notification of 22 diseases (FMOH, 2007). A surveillance officer in the health department is responsible for the collection of the data and reporting same to the state ministry of health. The state then forwards the report to the federal ministry of health. At each level analysis of the data collected is done to enable intervention such as instituting control and preventive measures for disease outbreaks and epidemics. A functional surveillance department requires trained staff, adequate transport and other logistics for efficiency and effectiveness. Despite the established system, surveillance of diseases breaks