Communicable Diseases Surveillance in Singapore 2006

2 January 2007

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Preface

The year 2006 was a landmark year for us. The Ministry of Health (MOH) launched the “Communicable Diseases Live and Enhanced Surveillance” (CD-LENS) system to enhance interaction between MOH and the medical community on communicable disease surveillance. Medical practitioners can use this one-stop on-line portal to notify MOH of cases of infectious disease. MOH also uses this portal to communicate news of local and overseas outbreaks as well as other topics of interest to medical professionals. This is important as communicable diseases continue to threaten public health in Singapore.

Within Singapore, we were faced with an outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in 2006. There were also sporadic outbreaks of other endemic diseases like norovirus gastroenteritis. With close cooperation between the various stakeholders, these outbreaks were quickly put under control.

The global situation was no different. H5N1 avian influenza spread to both the African and European continents, affecting an increasing number of countries. Within Asia, the human toll from H5N1 avian influenza continues to rise. Countries of South Asia were confronted with outbreaks of chikungunya viral fever and there were also scattered outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fever in Africa. While the world has made strides in polio eradication, the disease continues to afflict several countries. We should remain vigilant and ensure that our surveillance systems are well equipped to detect them early should they be introduced or re-introduced to Singapore.

This report presents epidemiological information on communicable diseases obtained through community, institutional and laboratory surveillance together with the outcomes of outbreak investigations. This report would not have been possible without the long-term commitment of our medical colleagues working at the frontline and many other stakeholders. I wish to take this opportunity to thank them as we maintain continued vigilance and support our national effort to minimise the threat of communicable diseases.

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Foreword by Prof K Satku, Director of Medical Services [PDF, 110 KB]

Population Profile [PDF, 110 KB]

Overview of Communicable Diseases Situation [PDF, 4.8 MB]

Special Feature: Malaria and Norovirus [PDF, 4.8 MB]

1. Air-/Droplet-Borne Diseases [PDF, 4.8 MB]