ABSTRACT:
Public health emergencies are increasingly frequent and complex, highlighting significant weaknesses in how nations detect and respond to threats. Recognizing that effective surveillance is the foundation of health security, this research investigates the implementation of collaborative surveillance in Liberia. This strategic approach emphasizes strengthening partnerships across various sectors and disciplines to enhance public health intelligence and accelerate decision-making. Specifically, the study examines how collaborative surveillance can augment Liberia’s Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system, with the primary goal of utilizing practical policy tools and governance mechanisms to reduce the time required to detect, notify, and respond to epidemic-prone diseases at the community and primary care levels. To achieve these objectives, the research employs a comprehensive mixed-methods methodology. This includes a policy analysis of the IDSR framework’s alignment with the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) and stakeholder interviews with public health officials, community workers, and laboratory personnel to identify barriers to collaboration. Furthermore, the study utilizes case studies of recent outbreaks to assess response timelines, maps data flows across systems, and pilot tests collaborative tools such as shared dashboards and mobile reporting apps to measure their impact on detection speed. The expected outcomes of this research include a practical framework for implementing collaborative surveillance, policy recommendations for strengthening the IDSR, and a roadmap for integrating these strategies into Liberia’s NAPHS priorities. By providing evidence of reduced response times and strategies for workforce development and sustainable financing, the project directly supports NAPHS goals regarding diagnostic capacity, emergency operations, and governance. ultimately, this work contributes to Liberia’s efforts to build a resilient health system capable of handling future threats while offering valuable insights for other low-resource settings seeking to strengthen their surveillance infrastructure through inclusive, data-driven approaches.