Population Health Assessment and Surveillance

Population Health Assessment and Surveillance

Population Health Assessment and Surveillance (PHAS) 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

PHAS 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.

PHAS 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 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
Influenza surveillance is an ongoing activity in Nova Scotia that monitors influenza in addition to other respiratory viruses. The objectives of influenza surveillance are:
• To monitor the trend of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the community in order to determine waning, re-emergence and activity levels of disease.
• To monitor the geographic spread of influenza viruses across Nova Scotia and Canada.
• To monitor the severity of illness.
• To monitor for changes in the antigenicity and antiviral sensitivity of the virus (lab-based).

The objectives of influenza surveillance are met through a number of surveillance systems including laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza, ILI in emergency departments, outbreaks, school and daycare absenteeism, hospitalization and death surveillance. This timely report summarizes current respiratory pathogen activity across the province.


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).


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.

Please read the full Surveillance Guidelines here