Reliability of acute diarrheal disease morbidity reporting in Colombia, 2013 - 2017

Abstract

Introduction: Acute diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of childhood mortality and morbidity in the world. More than half of premature deaths are due to illnesses that could be prevented or treated if there were access to simple and affordable interventions. The objective of the study was to determine the reliability of the information reported in the Public Health Surveillance System by territorial entities for acute diarrheal disease based on information between 2013 and 2017 from each of the municipalities in Colombia.

Materials and methods: Descriptive study based on the Sivigila databases from 2013 to 2017 of acute diarrheal disease. The analysis of the information was performed with absolute frequencies, by each of the municipalities of the country and by territorial entity of origin of the case. The number of weeks in which there was notification of the total number of epidemiological weeks was considered and subsequently, ranges were established to measure the reliability of the notification.

Results: in the years reviewed, 100 % of the territorial entities reported the event. According to the ranges considered for the qualification, the territorial entities that offer greater reliability according to timely notification are Barranquilla, Bogota, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Cesar, Guaviare, Santa Marta and Valle del Cauca. The territorial entities with the lowest reliability in notification are Guainía, Amazonas, Archipelago of San Andrés and Vaupés, where more than 50 % of their municipalities notify less than 80 % of the weeks in the year.

Conclusion: The notification characteristics during the five years reviewed does not show major differences. The same territorial entities obtain the same result year after year. It should be noted that of the entities classified as reliable, five are districts and one is a department that has historically been as a good notifier.