Vol. 1 No. 1 (2012)

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Methodological Evaluation and Risk Reduction Analysis of Public Health Surveillance Systems in Nigeria: A Difference-in-Differences Modelling Approach

Adebayo Adeyemi, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) Ngozi Eze, University of Lagos Oluwaseun Ibrahim, Department of Internal Medicine, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Chinwe Okonkwo, University of Maiduguri
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18953861
Published: November 26, 2012

Abstract

Public health surveillance systems are critical for early detection and response to disease outbreaks, yet their methodological evaluation, particularly regarding attributable risk reduction, remains underdeveloped in many resource-limited settings. This study aimed to conduct a rigorous methodological evaluation of enhanced surveillance systems and quantify their causal effect on reducing public health risks. We employed a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences (DiD) design, analysing longitudinal data from intervention and matched control regions. The primary model was specified as $Y_{it} = \beta_0 + \beta_1 (Treat_i \times Post_t) + \beta_2 Treat_i + \beta_3 Post_t + \epsilon_{it}$, where $Y_{it}$ is the composite risk score. Inference was based on cluster-robust standard errors. The DiD estimator ($\beta_1$) was -0.18 (95% CI: -0.31 to -0.05), indicating a statistically significant 18% reduction in the composite risk score attributable to the enhanced surveillance intervention. The parallel trends assumption was validated using pre-intervention data. The enhanced surveillance methodology demonstrated a significant causal effect in mitigating public health risks, confirming the value of targeted system strengthening. Policy should prioritise the scale-up of the evaluated surveillance components. Future evaluations should adopt quasi-experimental designs to robustly estimate programme impact. surveillance evaluation, impact assessment, causal inference, quasi-experimental design, health security This paper provides novel empirical evidence of the causal risk reduction attributable to an enhanced surveillance system, employing a DiD model not previously used for this specific evaluative purpose in the region.

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How to Cite

Adebayo Adeyemi, Ngozi Eze, Oluwaseun Ibrahim, Chinwe Okonkwo (2012). Methodological Evaluation and Risk Reduction Analysis of Public Health Surveillance Systems in Nigeria: A Difference-in-Differences Modelling Approach. African Food Systems Research (Interdisciplinary - incl Agri/Env), Vol. 1 No. 1 (2012). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18953861

Keywords

public health surveillancemethodological evaluationrisk reductionsub-Saharan Africadifference-in-differencesNigeriaoutbreak detection

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Vol. 1 No. 1 (2012)
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African Food Systems Research (Interdisciplinary - incl Agri/Env)

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