Infobae – This is a tool developed by the national Ministry of Health that will allow monitoring the epidemiological reality throughout the country for an immediate and detailed analysis of the outbreaks in the different jurisdictions. How will it impact health decision-making this summer?
The Ministry of Health presented a situation room that allows monitoring cases of dengue in real time. The tool improves response and coordination with the provinces, reducing delays in accessing data. The new technology includes automatic alerts and a comprehensive approach, optimizing epidemiological management.
The essential: he Ministry of Health of the Nation implemented an innovative situation room to monitor the dengue. This system allows you to view updated data almost in real time, improving the response to outbreaks. The platform is powered by National Health Surveillance System (SNVS)which eliminates delays and favors the early detection of epidemic outbreaks through automatic alerts. Mauro Bertolini, from the Dengue Coordination Unit, emphasized the advantage of anticipating the adoption of preventive measures.
He Ministry of Health introduced an innovative change in the epidemiological management of dengue with the implementation of a situation room that allows real-time monitoring and analysis of cases.
This tool, which was presented in the last few hours to the media in the offices of the health portfolio, optimizes outbreak response and improves coordination with provincial jurisdictions, strengthening the prevention and control of this disease.
The development is highlighted by a comprehensive and transversal approach that connects multiple areas of the ministry for more effective and coordinated action in the health strategy.
“What we achieved was being able to access information from different approaches and in different ways,” explained the infectious disease doctor. Mauro Bertolinifrom the Dengue Coordination Unit of the Ministry of Health, during the presentation of the Infobae was part
The expert stressed that “with this situation room, the way in which the information is accessed and used is transformed. epidemiological information”.
This reality comes after a last season that was a record for cases and deaths in the country. Asked about what they expect for this coming summer, Bertolini acknowledged that accurately predicting the behavior of the epidemic is complex, and clarified that They hope to apply the lessons learned from last year and act proactively.
“We are acting and preparing to have a situation similar to last year,” he confided. We follow the cases and buy supplies and reagents as if we were on par with what happened this last season.” With this preparation, seek to guarantee a rapid and coordinated response together with provincial jurisdictions to mitigate the impact of the virus.
A new era in epidemiological monitoring
The creation of the situation room arose as part of the Comprehensive Dengue Prevention and Control Plana project agreed upon with the health ministers of the different provinces.
Previously, monitoring depended on data published in the Epidemiological Bulletinwhose preparation once the jurisdictions uploaded the information implied up to two weeks of delay in access by health authorities, which hindered the ability to respond to rapid and changing outbreaks.
The new tool allows a near real-time visualization of informationnot only at the national level, but also broken down by jurisdictions, departments and localities.
Among the data that appears in the situation room you can see the suspected, notified, confirmed and serious cases, deaths, fatality percentagein addition to how those affected are distributed on the ground and the serotype that prevails in each region. “Technicians from the Ministry of Health can analyze the data by region and age group, which enables a more detailed understanding and a more precise response strategy,” highlighted Bertolini.
And he emphasized: “Winning a week may sound little, but it is a lot if we talk about the possibility of anticipating prevention measures.”
Features and benefits of the situation room
The situation room is designed to present the collected data in an agile manner from jurisdictions and health establishments through National Health Surveillance System (SNVS). Data is loaded and reflected immediately, eliminating the delay involved in manual processing and writing newsletters.
Users – who in a first stage will only be the technical teams of the health portfolio – can filter and delve deeper into the information, which facilitates analysis of historical trends and the comparison with previous seasons. “For example, it is possible to review how cases behaved during the most serious dengue season so far and contrast them with the current figures,” Bertolini explained.
One of the key characteristics that the infectious disease doctor highlighted is the generation of automatic alerts. Asked about it by Infobaeexpanded: “If an increase in suspected cases is detected in an area for three consecutive weeks, the situation room issues a yellow alert “which allows teams to act before the situation escalates.”
In that sense, he stressed that there is another alert level -red, in this case-for when confirmed cases increase for three consecutive weeks, a situation in which “it is essential to take preventive or corrective measures quickly,” according to the expert.
The importance of inter-ministerial collaboration and local actions
The implementation of the situation room also reinforces the cooperation between different areas of the Ministry of Health and with local jurisdictions. This coordination extends from vector management to the supervision of vaccination programs and entomological surveillance.
“This transversal approach allows all areas, from the Technology Department to the Immunopreventables Department, to access the data and make informed decisions,” explained Bertolini.
On the ground, the tool enables local teams to carry out quick actions such as focal control and case blockingessential to stop the spread of the virus. Bertolini highlighted the importance of municipal teams being able to act quickly: “The work must start from the smallest level, from the home and the neighborhood, so that the actions are effective”.
Present impact and future projection of the situation room
The new system marks, according to the official, “a significant difference in the way dengue management is approached.” Decisions are made in a more informed way and with a more integrated vision, which contributes to more efficient use of resources.
Although the Situation Room is currently available, as stated, it is only for ministry and jurisdiction teams, and it is hoped that in the future it can be expanded for broader access and with more analysis tools.
Bertolini, in that sense, pointed out that the work is not limited to the presentation of data; It is a continuous effort to improve collection, analysis and communication of the information. “This transversal work allows us democratize information to respond better and fastera fundamental step in the fight against dengue,” he concluded.
In the words of the expert, the implementation of this situation room is an example of how innovation and technology can transform public healthallowing more precise monitoring and a more efficient response to health threats. With these advances, the health portfolio is committed to facing the 2024-2025 dengue season in a more organized way.
