Evaluation of the reporting completeness and timeliness of the integrated disease surveillance and response system in northern Ghana.

OBJECTIVES: The integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) and district health information management system II (DHIMS2) strategies were implemented in 2002 and 2012 respectively to improve surveillance data reporting and quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reporting completeness and timeliness of the IDSR system at the sub-national level in northern Ghana.

METHODS: This was an observational study in Upper East Region (UER). Weekly and monthly disease surveillance reports on completeness and timeliness were downloaded and analysed for 2012 and 2013 from the DHIMS2 in UER, the two Kassena-Nankana districts and their nine health facilities representing public, private and mission providers. Comparison of paper-based and DHIMS2 reporting from the periphery health facilities were assessed.

RESULTS: IDSR monthly reporting completeness and timeliness in UER increased by 9% and 37% respectively in 2013 compared to 2012 and weekly completeness and timeliness improved by 79% and 24% respectively in 2013. Similar reporting increases were seen in the districts and health facilities over the same period, except the Kassena-Nankana Municipal which showed decrease of 2% in monthly completeness for 2013. At the health facilities, the paper-based reporting completeness was 96% and timeliness 45% while DHIMS2 completeness was 83% and timeliness 18% in 2012. However, DHIMS2 reporting completeness and timeliness improved in 2013 reaching 100% and 61% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Disease surveillance reporting through DHIMS2 became more complete over time, but there remain problems with timeliness. Surveillance data need to be timely to enable rapid responses to disease outbreaks.