To facilitate disease prevention and control, EHI researchers work closely with various stakeholders to collect, monitor and analyse data for detection of changes in disease patterns.

 

Mosquito and other environmental surveillance are performed in collaboration with the Environmental Health Department, the operational arm of the Public Health Division, and the Singapore Pest Management Association.

 

The institute also carries out disease and pathogen surveillance through an active laboratory-based surveillance. Teaming up with a network of private clinics and hospitals, the surveillance system detected the first and subsequent Chikungunya in Singapore in 2008, and has provided early warnings of dengue outbreaks and emergence of new strains.

 

Amalgamating mosquito, case and pathogen data in an analysis, EHI contributes to risk assessment, situation analysis, and enhancement of control strategies. These outcomes were made possible by a number of research tools and techniques developed internally.

 

In addition, EHI’s high containment laboratory at Biosafety Level 3 provides a safe facility for surveillance of more dangerous pathogens like the West Nile virus, Japanese Encephalitis virus and Hanta viruses.