What Could Be Future Scenarios?—Lessons from the History of Public Health Surveillance for the Future

Bernard C.K. Choi; Bernard C.K. Choi

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2015.1.27

AIMS Public Health

2015, Volume 2, Issue 1: 27-43. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2015.1.27

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Research article Special Issues

What Could Be Future Scenarios?—Lessons from the History of Public Health Surveillance for the Future

Bernard C.K. Choi ^{1,2,3
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1.
Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada;
2.
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
3.
Injury Prevention Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China

Received: 18 August 2014 Accepted: 02 March 2015 Published: 09 March 2015

This article provides insights into the future based on a review of the past and present of public health surveillance—the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of health data for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health action. Public health surveillance dates back to the first recorded epidemic in 3180 BC in Egypt. A number of lessons and items of interest are summarised from a review of historical perspectives in the past 5,000 years and the current practice of surveillance. Some future scenarios are presented: exploring new frontiers|enhancing computer technology|improving epidemic investigations|improving data collection, analysis, dissemination and use|building on lessons from the past|building capacity|and enhancing global surveillance. It is concluded that learning from the past, reflecting on the present, and planning for the future can further enhance public health surveillance.
- public health surveillance,
- history,
- lessons learned,
- future scenarios,
- public health,
- health promotion,
- disease prevention
Citation: Bernard C.K. Choi. What Could Be Future Scenarios?—Lessons from the History of Public Health Surveillance for the Future[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2015, 2(1): 27-43. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2015.1.27

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Abstract

This article provides insights into the future based on a review of the past and present of public health surveillance—the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of health data for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health action. Public health surveillance dates back to the first recorded epidemic in 3180 BC in Egypt. A number of lessons and items of interest are summarised from a review of historical perspectives in the past 5,000 years and the current practice of surveillance. Some future scenarios are presented: exploring new frontiers|enhancing computer technology|improving epidemic investigations|improving data collection, analysis, dissemination and use|building on lessons from the past|building capacity|and enhancing global surveillance. It is concluded that learning from the past, reflecting on the present, and planning for the future can further enhance public health surveillance.

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