Enhanced Surveillance Reflection

Superior Essays
ROLE AND REFLECTION
The Enhanced Surveillance Section (ESS) is part of the Surveillance and Epidemiology Division within the Centre for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). ESS monitors the prevalence of HIV and other related infections, as well as associated risk behaviours through bio-behavioural surveillance among key populations (e.g. aboriginals, people who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men). The section also conducts national surveillance of HIV strain and drug resistance.
My practicum experience took place at the Enhanced Surveillance Section of PHAC in Ottawa. I feel fortunate to work alongside such experienced and highly talented group of professionals in public health sector. ESS provided me with an excellent opportunity to gain deeper insight into some of the principles of surveillance systems and their operations, as well as challenges involved in conducting population-based public health projects at the national level.
…show more content…
Construction and analysis of HIV cascade framework would help to improve HIV services by key populations and their retention in those services. Tracks bio-behavioral surveillance system is one of the main program areas within ESS which monitors prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C, and other Sexually Transmitted and Blood-borne Infections (STBBI) and associated risk behaviours among vulnerable populations in Canada. For this project, I worked alongside the “Tracks” team to analyze the results of their surveys among three of the vulnerable populations, i.e. aboriginals (A-Track), people who inject drugs (I-Track), and men who have sex with men (M-Track). These cross-sectional surveys are conducted periodically at regular intervals. For my practicum, I analyzed the following survey

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    VDH Executive Summary

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Specifically relating to epidemiology, activities will include collecting information to characterize the event and the affected population and establishing an active surveillance system. Surveying the health and health conditions among emergency responders will also be part of this active surveillance system. Monitoring casualties would also likely be needed. Epidemiologists will be involved in assisting with the collection of patient specimens and prioritizing specimens for analysis. Lastly, providing information to the public will continue to be a major function of public health activities and a public health inquiry center may be established to meet increased demands for providing this…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Unit 7 Video Reflection

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sammie Derner Administration Unit 7 Video Reflection 1. Have you, or anyone you know, ever set up a toddler classroom? The center director in the video mentions that she designs toddler classroom in ways that will support the four domains of learning. What are these domains, and how do her examples (e.g., the Farmer 's Market area) shed light on each one? A. Block Area – In the block area of the classroom the children are able to communicate with their peers in order to work together or alongside each other to develop their social emotional and language skills. They have to consider what it is they are making and how they will structure or build it in order to get their desired outcome.…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Icd 10 Challenges Essay

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Challenges The tedious process of moving from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS create several challenges for providers and payers in the United States. There are more than 155,000 codes in ICD-10 compared to approximately 17,000 in ICD-9. ICD-10 is far more detailed and allows for much more capture of clinical information. The transition is complex and massive requiring collaboration of multiple key personnel in administrative and clinical areas and between providers and payers.…

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It soon became adopted by the Municipal Health Department of Amsterdam, the program had facilities in which free HIV testing and counseling were offered. The growth of the first programs gave developing countries insight in HIV reduction that affects its population. As of today, there are approximately 185 needle exchange programs nationwide. I will approach different studies about the programs and investigate any relevant correlation between the latter. Recent studies have shown the programs have reduced the spread HIV among communities.…

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this first week of discussion I would like to focus on the disease HIV. Major ethnic and racial disparities happen in the minority populations. According to the US Department of Health and Human Service, “The HHS Action Plan builds on the strong foundation of the Affordable Care Act and is aligned with programs and initiatives such as Healthy People 2020, the First Lady's Let's Move initiative and the President's National HIV/AIDS Strategy”, (2015). These wellness disparities mostly result from variance in socioeconomic standing. However, several disparities weaken when taking these issues into consideration, some people will stay because of the wellness aid system, and good wellness tending providers.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Safe Injection Sites Essay

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages

    There are several very aggressive infections that are spread through the re-use of needles, including but not limited to Hepatitis C, and Human Immune-deficiency Virus, or more commonly known as HIV, as well as other medical concerns such as abscesses, and other wounds. In the article by Kondro, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Executive Director Ralf Jürgens said, “Some 34% of an estimated 4190 new HIV infections in 1999, and 60% of the 4000 hepatitis C infections diagnosed annually, are attributable to drug use” (1415). Under the supervision of the staff at safe injection sites they have access to clean needles, and are taught safer injection methods, creating an ultimately safer process which many can take with them, should they decide against using safe injection sites in the future, and furthermore teach to those around…

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Since 1981, when HIV and AIDS came to the forefront of the public’s mind, Los Angeles County has confirmed 38,000 cases of AIDS. Of that number, 24,000 have died. This accounts for 35% of all AIDS cases in California, and 6% nationally. While both men and women are at risk, in LA County, AIDS is the leading cause of death among men ages 25-44 ("HIV testing," 1999).…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As of the 2015 census, Hispanics make up the largest percentage of minority groups at 17.6% of the U.S. population, approximately 320 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). Although they make up a significant portion of the population of the United States, Hispanic population are disproportionately affected by high incidences of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and rates of HIV transmission (Bouris et al., 2010). For example, Hispanics comprise 18% of the people with HIV and account for 17% of new infections each year (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2016). When examining just the adolescent population alone, they comprise 19% of HIV cases in 2006 despite only comprising 17% of the national teen population (CDC 2014). Hispanics…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Greatly, a good population of the aboriginals tends to support their counterparts in accessing health related services. Again, the kind of interactions that are carried out in the community where the aboriginals live greatly affects the health of community members in the aboriginal society (Mitrou, et al., 2014). Additionally, poverty is another determinant of health among the aboriginals. This factor comes to play in that, the poor people who live in the society are not in a position to access healthcare facilities while those who are considered to be financially able have the ability to access appropriate health facilities when faced with different health conditions (Dahlgren, & Whitehead, 2016). As a result, being poor or rich in the aboriginal community plays an important role in determining the health of the…

    • 2055 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Core Competency Model

    • 208 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Gebbei et al., described another issue which was attracting particular attention of public health agencies since early 2000. Along with the development of public health and preparedness workforce there was a clear need to clarify what knowledge, skills and attitudes a public health professional should gain as a part of their training activities. Authors presented the newly developed core competencies which public health workforce should have, as well as described some of the implications of these competencies on practice, research and education. Following the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) in December 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) to develop the Public Health Preparedness and Response Core Competency Model.…

    • 208 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Safe Streets and Communities Act is an omnibus bill that consists of nine smaller bills that the conservatives failed to pass, which have now been put together to create Bill C-10. Bill C-10 includes the Increasing penalties for organized crime act, Protecting society from violent offenders act, Ending house arrest for property and other serious crimes act, Eliminating pardons for serious crimes act, Protecting children from sexual predators act, Increasing offender accountability act, International transfer of prisoners back to Canada act, Supporting victims of terrorism act, and the Protecting vulnerable foreign nationals against trafficking, abuse and exploitation act (Safe Streets and Community Act, 2012). The Safe Streets and Communities…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Today, Aboriginal people represent 8% of the population in Canada living with HIV/AIDS. Also, their infection rate is 3.6 times higher than for any other group in Canada . By looking at the different issues that Indigenous people…

    • 1576 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Public Health Degrees

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pam: What are the Courses Taken in Masters in Public Health Degree Program? Masters in Public Health courses are designed to provide health care professionals with the clearest picture of the ever evolving health care industry. These programs’ curriculum will equip graduates with the skills and knowledge needed to meet the expanding needs and challenges of the industry. Masters in Public Health Degree Programs…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Diseases that can become prevalent and run rampant affect populations, therefore it must be monitored closely. Two examples of public health information systems tailored to combat an epidemic are CDC’s HIV/AIDS reporting system and Immunization Information systems (ISS). The CDC’s National HIV Surveillance System is the major source that monitors HIV trends in the United States (CDC.gov, n.d.a). Also, the CDC finances and aids state and local health departments to gather the information. Thus, the CDC knows the past and current HIV/AIDS cases.…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Question 1 a. Public Health Indicator: A public health indicator can be quantifiable as it is used as a supporting evidence when the health status of a population is been described. Public health indicator is a summary statistics of which is directly related to and which facilitate concise, comprehensive and balanced judgements about the condition of a major part of health or the progression towards achieving a healthier society. An indicator is known to simply measure hence it is a measure of interest that is used for indication of some concept, construct or process that cannot be measured directly.…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays