Conference Abstract | Volume 9, Abstract 022 (ConfProc7) | Published: 29 Apr 2026
Samuel Bagayel Tang1,&, Belinda Nsiah Opoku2, Martha Arkaa Kotey2, Ernestina Agbemafle2, Jennifer Nai-Dowetin2, Samuel Sackey2, Ernest Kenu2
1Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana, 2Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Samuel Bagayel Tang, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Email: samuelbagayel@gmail.com
Received: 22 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 29 Apr 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Disease surveillance, Reporting tools, Root causes, Health facilities, Forecasting, Ghana, Bongo
©Samuel Bagayel Tang et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Samuel Bagayel Tang et al. Problem analysis on the lack of surveillance reporting tools in the Bongo District, Upper East Region, Ghana, 2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):022. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0022
Effective disease surveillance relies on timely and accurate reporting; however, health facilities in the Bongo District face recurrent shortages of standardized reporting tools, such as registers and Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) forms. This analysis investigated the root and critical causes of the unavailability of surveillance reporting tools in selected health facilities in the Bongo District and determined the extent of control facilities over the root causes.
Nineteen root causes were identified in this study. Approximately 26.3% (5/19) were totally controllable at the facility level, 63.2% (12/19) were partially controllable through collaboration with higher levels, and 10.5% (2/19) were external. Weak forecasting and inadequate re-ordering practices were the most critical factors contributing to shortages.
Nineteen root causes of tool shortages were identified, with inadequate reordering practices being the most critical cause. Nearly 80% of these causes were within the health system’s control, indicating a significant potential for improvement. Strengthening quantification practices, building staff capacity in forecasting, and institutionalizing regular supervision are essential to ensure consistent availability of surveillance tools and enhance public health responsiveness.
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