The Role of Public Health Surveillance Systems in Early Detection and Prevention of Chronic Diseases
1Dr Muneer akhtar Alias Waseem, 2Mansoor Ali, 3Dr. Marium Khalil, 4Taimoor Ghori, 5Khurram Ali, 6Marwa Riaz
Submission: 31 January 2026 | Acceptance: 25 February 2026 | Publication: 03 April 2026
1Assistant DHO EPI and Polio District Tharparkar
2UHS Lahore
3Institute of Public Health Lahore
4PIMS Islamabad
5PIMS Islamabad
6UHS Lahore
Abstract
Background: Noncommunicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases and health, diabetes, and cancer continue to be a major public health concern internationally. Screening and control of such disorders are crucial in minimizing morbidity, mortality and health care costs. Population surveillance forms part of PHBLs and assists in disease detection, risk groups identification and subsequent intervention measures.
Aim: As such, this paper seeks to understand the place of public health surveillance systems in PR diagnosis and protection of chronic ailments. It will also look at the way these systems work; how successful they are in detecting new health threats; and management strategies used to stop chronic diseases in populations.
Methods: A review of past literature was done to establish the current knowledge on public health surveillance systems with emphasis on acute chronic diseases. To evaluate respective outcomes and the efficiency and effectiveness of Surveillance systems in different parts of the world, twenty four articles were chosen, of which involved the use of six peer-reviewed articles with focus on implementation, success rates and challenges in surveillance systems, six case studies and twelve government reports.
Results: According to the mass public health surveillance systems including the BRFSS and NHANES; have shown much success in early disease identification and prevention. These offer important information for the planning of public health, aim on vulnerable populations, and help with decision making on resource utilization. Though, with obstacles like under-representation, poor data quality, reduced availability of near real-time information, they remain constrained.
Conclusion: Essentials in early detection of chronic diseases and other conditions associated with ill health, are surveillance systems for public health. It is, therefore, possible to reduce the burden of chronic diseases by improving the implementation process, data collection and use of timely interventions. However, increasing the improvement of the SS, filling the gaps, and incorporating technology into the system also provide excellent opportunities to improve the impact of surveillance systems on public health.
Keywords: Public health surveillance, chronic disease prevention, early detection, healthcare policy, disease monitoring, public health systems, behavioral risk factors.