Surveillance and Information Sharing Operational Tool

Zoonotic diseases are transmitted between animals and people and impact health, livelihood and national and global health security. A multisectoral, One Health approach is necessary to address such complex heath threats at the human-animal-environment interface. In 2019, the Tripartite organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – developed the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide (TZG), which was the summation of a global effort of more than 100 experts worldwide to provide guidance and explain best practices for addressing zoonotic diseases in countries. This includes supporting countries in understanding national contexts and developing capacities for strategic technical areas.

The Surveillance and Information Sharing Operational Tool (SIS OT) has been developed by the Tripartite organizations (FAO, WHO, WOAH) and technical experts to support national authorities to establish or strengthen their coordinated, multisectoral surveillance and information sharing for zoonotic diseases. Such a system is essential for early detection of disease events and timely, routine data sharing among all relevant sectors to support coordinated response, prevention, and mitigation of these events. While it provides step-by-step guidance on how to conduct each component of the process, it also provides an instrument for assessing the national coordinated surveillance and information sharing capacity already in place and linking users to a curated set of existing tools and resources that can help develop or improve that capacity.