ABSTRACT
The enhanced mass gathering surveillance initiative was supported by the Pohnpei Department of Health, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). JHU/APL was approached by the Public Health Division of the Research Evidence and Information Programme of the SPC to explore the feasibility of using the Suite for Automated Global Electronic bioSurveillance (SAGES) disease surveillance toolkit for mass gathering surveillance during the Games. The SAGES and SPC teams worked together to customize the data entry forms and visualizations to meet the specific needs of the enhanced surveillance during the Games. The mass gathering surveillance activity enhanced the existing syndromic surveillance system. During the Games, the enhanced mass gathering surveillance expanded daily reporting to include 8 syndromes from 11 sentinel sites around Pohnpei. Enhanced syndromic surveillance is an important mechanism for mass gathering surveillance; however, mass gatherings can also provide a unique chance to initiate or strengthen existing surveillance systems.
