title: Performance Assessment of a Communicable Disease Surveillance System in Response to the Twin Earthquakes of East Azerbaijan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Following the twin earthquakes on August 11, 2012, in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran, the provincial health center set up a surveillance system to monitor communicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the performance of this surveillance system.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this quantitative-qualitative study, performance of the communicable diseases surveillance system was assessed by using the updated guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Qualitative data were collected through interviews with the surveillance system participants, and quantitative data were obtained from the surveillance system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The surveillance system was useful, simple, representative, timely, and flexible. The data quality, acceptability, and stability of the surveillance system were 65.6%, 10.63%, and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and positive predictive value were not calculated owing to the absence of a gold standard.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The surveillance system satisfactorily met the goals expected for its setup. The data obtained led to the control of communicable diseases in the affected areas. Required interventions based on the incidence of communicable disease were designed and implemented. The results also reassured health authorities and the public. However, data quality and acceptability should be taken into consideration and reviewed for implementation in future disasters.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Disaster Public Health,School of Public Health,and Department of Disaster and Emergency Health,National Institute of Health Research,Tehran University of Medical Science,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Babaie
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Disaster Public Health,School of Public Health,and Department of Disaster and Emergency Health,National Institute of Health Research,Tehran University of Medical Science,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardalan
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control,School of Public Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vatandoost
authors.affiliation: 4Centre for Communicable Disease Management,Ministry of Health and Medical Education,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Goya
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Health Management and Economics,School of Public Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbari Sari
mesh_terms: D001382:Azerbaijan / Q000453:epidemiology; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055866:Earthquakes / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States
keywords: communicable diseases; disasters; public health surveillance