title: [A discussion on the strategy of evaluating the communicable disease surveillance systems in US Center for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the different surveillance system evaluation guidelines proposed by US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO, so as to develop an evaluation strategy suitable for communicable disease surveillance systems in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic collection and review on the guidelines that were proposed by US CDC and WHO. Situation analysis together with feasibility analysis were linked to the analysis of evaluation strategy used in China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  US CDC guidelines were more appropriate for evaluating those single or simple systems that focusing on those 'system characteristics' while the. WHO protocols were more appropriate for evaluating the multi-system or complicated system which focusing on data related to 'system functions'. The US CDC guidelines had been widely used in China and it was the right moment to start to evaluate the functions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More flexible and comprehensive strategy based on national conditions is needed when constitute the national communicable disease surveillance evaluation guidelines. The multi-step strategy described in this article could be used as reference.
authors.affiliation: Office for Disease Control and Emergency Response, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Wei-yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Da-xin
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Zi-jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States; D014944:World Health Organization