Despite the critical situation in Iraq major progress has been made in the field of communicable surveillance and outbreak response.

The comprehensive communicable diseases surveillance system is now well functioning with primary health care centres and hospitals reporting on a monthly and weekly basis in all Iraq’s governorates.

WHO is providing continuous technical and logistical support to the Ministry of Health to strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). Such support includes: conducting training programmes both inside and outside Iraq; improving communications; supporting outbreak response at both central and governorate levels; supporting various meetings; and providing technical and logistical support to finalize and print manuals and guidelines related to communicable diseases surveillance.

WHO Iraq also regularly receives and analyses communicable diseases data to evaluate the effect of different interventions and to formulate future strategies. Prevention and control activities are conducted in different villages/districts according to the epidemiological situation.

However, despite significant progress in communicable diseases surveillance and outbreak response, the surveillance system is in need of further support, especially in relation to the integration and participation of the private sector.