Electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance System (EIDSS) is designed to strengthen and support monitoring and prevention of human and animal diseases within the One Health concept and facilitate International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 compliance. The system’s key modules include: Human Cases module, Veterinary Cases module, Veterinary Active Surveillance module, Vector Surveillance module, Laboratory module, Administrative module, Basic Syndromic Surveillance, Aberration Detection and Analysis module which also includes Geographic Information System capabilities. EIDSS manages case data, case plus disease specific investigation, aggregate data with corresponding sample, and laboratory data linked to cases. The system collects and distributes data, notifies on the events in near real-time, provides access from desktop, web and mobile devices, which allows it to link together different levels and ministries of a national disease surveillance network in a secure way. EIDSS provides a data transfer module for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Computerized Information System on Infectious Diseases (CISID) as well as establishes authorized data exchanges with other electronic systems using an Open Architecture approach, including the MoLHSA Health Management Information System (HMIS) operated at the hospital level. EIDSS is customizable for each participating country to hold the relevant content: diseases list, specific reports, disease-specific investigation forms, among others.

EIDSS was first introduced in Georgia in 2004: the software was installed at three sites: at - National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC&PH), Kutaisi Public Health Center (Kutaisi PHC) with Kutaisi Infectious Disease Hospital and Zugdidi Infectious Disease Hospital as sub-sites; at – Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture (LMA) with veterinary laboratories in Dusheti, Marneuli, Gori and Gurjaani as sub-sites. To date, EIDSS has undergone several iterations: Alpha version, Beta version, Version 1, Version 2, Version 3, Version 4 and Version 5. Currently, EIDSS version 6 is installed and utilized throughout the country.

In 2010, EIDSS network was expanded to cover all regional and district public health centers functioning on the territory of Georgia. Simultaneously, the official monthly and annual reporting form (Form IV-03 and Form IV-03/1) were incorporated in the system to provide electronic reporting.

In 2011, NCDC&PH announced the start of operational testing of EIDSS country-wide: starting from February 1, all regional and district public health centers and NCDC&PH regional branches were instructed to use the system on a daily basis as a transition period from paper to electronic reporting via EIDSS. NCDC&PH’s decision was supported by Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs (MoLHSA): in May 2012, the Ministry approved Order #01-27N, which endorsed EIDSS as the official reporting and surveillance system for MoLHSA public health facilities in Georgia.

Currently, EIDSS network in Georgia comprises 190 sites, of which 90 sites represent MoLHSA facilities, 97 sites represent Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) facilities, and 3 sites are shared by the two Ministries. MoLHSA sites are represented by: NCDC&PH and its regional branches, regional and district public health centers, Adjara Ministry of Healthcare and mobile workstations for working in-field. The system is used by over 350 public health facility employees, while their work is supervised by NCDC&PH-approved administrators group. NCDC&PH IT personnel staff a Helpdesk for technical support. The system was customized to meet MoLHSA requirements and includes the list of reportable diseases, corresponding sample and laboratory test types, disease-specific investigation forms, and updated official report Form IV-03.

On MoA side, EIDSS is utilized by the National Food Agency (NFA) regional, district and central veterinarians, as well as at LMA and its subordinate regional branches. EIDSS is currently used as one of the means of information exchange between MoLHSA and MoA.

The U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency developed EIDSS under the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP). Black and Veatch, a U.S.-based company, is the prime contractor for the system. The following institutions are contributing their expertise to EIDSS development: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Walter Reed Army Institute for Research (WRAIR), United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), Academic Engagement Partnership (AEP), Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (AFHSC), and the Northrop Grumman Corporation. EIDSS is co-funded by the MoLHSA and MoA of Georgia.

Website:   https://eidss.ge/en-KA-Eidss/Account/Login