Public Health Surveillance
Public Health Surveillance
Public Health Surveillance provides the methods, tools and human resources required to support data, information and knowledge needs for public health programming.
The work includes:
- gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to inform decisions, policies and strategies
- program evaluation and monitoring activities
- addressing process, tool, and procedure issues related to quality data collection, and
- surveillance of public health issues
Informatics, evaluation and surveillance
Public Health Surveillance provides leadership in informatics, evaluation and surveillance.
Informatics supports the systematic assessment, development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainment of processes, tools, and procedures necessary for quality data collection.
Evaluation provides answers to questions about the effectiveness or impact of a program and uses that information to make informed decisions related to program support and improvement.
Surveillance focuses on the ongoing and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health data to understand population health determinants and recognize and assess outbreaks and disease trends.
Public Health Surveillance continues to develop, refine, and practice an integrated and collaborative approach to population health to provide the foundation for evidence-informed decision making that, in turn, supports improved health outcomes for all Nova Scotians.
Surveillance guidelines
The Nova Scotia Surveillance Guidelines for Notifiable Diseases and Conditions provide detailed guidance to public health staff in Nova Scotia on the reporting of notifiable diseases and conditions for surveillance purposes.
Surveillance Reports
Annual Notifiable Disease Surveillance Report
This report provides a summary of notifiable diseases in Nova Scotia, including highlights, trends, and comparisons with national data. This report is produced annually.
Also see Amendments to Notifiable Disease Surveillance Reports
Annual Influenza Surveillance Report
This report reviews the epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed influenza and summarizes influenza vaccine coverage rates. This report is produced annually.
Respiratory Watch
Respiratory virus surveillance is an ongoing activity in Nova Scotia where respiratory viruses like COVID-19, influenza and RSV are monitored. The objectives of this surveillance are:
- To monitor and describe trends in activity levels of respiratory pathogens in Nova Scotia.
- To routinely disseminate timely surveillance data to inform public health action.
- To monitor and describe the epidemiology of respiratory pathogens overall and for severe outcomes.
- To detect, monitor and characterize emerging respiratory pathogens that may present as influenza-like illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) with the potential to cause outbreaks and epidemics.
These objectives are met through analysis of data from multiple sources which are described in Nova Scotia's Respiratory Surveillance Plan for Public Health (PDF).
The Respiratory Watch dashboard can be found at the Nova Scotia Respiratory Watch 2025-26. Historical reports are also accessible at the Respiratory Watch Report page.
School-Based Immunization Coverage in Nova Scotia
This report provides a summary of immunization coverage rates for the school-based immunization program in Nova Scotia.
A report on Lyme Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance in Nova Scotia
Read the Lyme Disease Report
This report provides descriptive epidemiological information on Lyme disease cases reported in Nova Scotia from 2002-2011, describes Lyme disease endemic areas identified in the province, and provides an overview of the outcomes of surveillance for blacklegged tick populations. This in-depth report is intended to summarize and document information on Lyme disease and tick surveillance to date in Nova Scotia. Surveillance information is routinely presented, with a more limited scope, in the Annual Notifiable Disease Surveillance Report (above).
Lyme Disease: Map of known Lyme disease endemic areas in Nova Scotia
Surveillance Report on HIV/AIDS in Nova Scotia: 1983-2011
Read the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report
This report describes trends in HIV/AIDS diagnoses reported to public health in Nova Scotia since the first person was diagnosed with AIDS in the province in 1983. The report examines cases newly diagnosed in Nova Scotia, focusing on cases reported in the last ten years (2002-2011). As well, enhanced surveillance information on HIV-1 subtypes, transmitted drug resistance mutations, and HIV disease progression at diagnosis is also presented. This in-depth report is intended to summarize and document information on HIV/AIDS surveillance to date in Nova Scotia. Surveillance information is routinely presented, with a more limited scope, in the Annual Notifiable Disease Surveillance Report (above).