Pioneering Innovation in Infectious Disease Surveillance: Bizzell’s Impact on Global Health

Pioneering Innovation in Infectious Disease Surveillance: Bizzell’s Impact on Global Health

By Editorial Staff

In the context of global health outcomes, innovative infectious disease surveillance is crucial. As the world grapples with emerging health challenges, the role of robust data collection is pivotal. At its core, infectious disease surveillance can be simplified into a three-pronged framework. At Bizzell, this structure is Detect, Monitor, and Respond, or simply DMR, which emphasizes the capability to detect, monitor, and respond to infectious diseases accurately and precisely.

1. Early Detection: Time is of the essence when it comes to infectious diseases. Innovative surveillance mechanisms can serve as early warning systems, which help detect emergent diseases in their infancy. We believe that building strong and resilience health systems against public health threats begins with a strong health system that provides capacity and capabilities to detect threats. Identifying outbreaks swiftly can make or break global health responses. Proactive approaches are instrumental in preventing and protecting our most vulnerable communities nationwide. Proactive approaches in data collection and detection strategies also allow for the appropriate allocation of resources. Understanding the biological dynamics and trajectory of new and emerging threats can assist in deploying limited personnel, medical instrumentation, and funds in the most effective and strategic ways to maximize efficacy. Bizzell supports early detection processes through data analysis, corrective action plans, and monitoring progress. We provide technical assistance to agencies to establish or improve sentinel sites through standard surveillance-based indicators and community event-based surveillance.

2. Monitoring: Infectious diseases have no concept of borders, race, nationality, or religion. Facilitating real time data exchanges between nations and international health organizations is crucial in fostering global collaboration. Monitoring allows for a collective response to health threats, allowing shared resources, pooled knowledge, and insights to be shared both nationally and internationally. Monitoring also allows for the development of more accurate predictions of pathogenic behavior. This can help develop more concrete and strategic preparedness plans which reduce the impact of infectious diseases on communities.

3. Rapid Response: The speed in which we respond to infectious diseases plays a pivotal role in minimizing the economic impact of outbreaks. By containing diseases at an early stage, countries can avoid widespread disruptions to trade, travel, and productivity. This proactive stance safeguards economic stability and ensures that societies can rebound swiftly from health crises. The response to new health threats is one of the most important pillars in our framework as it is crucial in building public trust and confidence in government and health systems. Compliance has an enormous impact on prevention and stabilization during a health crisis. Appropriate, accurate and innovative communication about infectious disease surveillance, data, and best practices will encourage efforts to control the spread of disease.

There are many new examples of emerging technologies for infectious disease surveillance. Some of these recent technologies include wastewater surveillance, which has gained popularity through testing wastewater for COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 levels, to determine infection rates[1]National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/wastewater-surveillance.html#:~:text=Wastewater%20surveillance%20 captures%20presence%20of,or%20decreasing%20 in%20a%20sewershed
.

Other examples of innovative technologies include digital epidemiology, syndromic surveillance, social media monitoring, and artificial intelligence or machine learning. Bizzell uses real-time technology such as eIDSR (under the DHIS2 and the CEBS) for data collection, record, analysis, and interpretation public health to assist with public health decision making. A strong surveillance program is one that can integrate the digitalization of the laboratory system which is the backbone for epidemiological surveillance.

Driving innovation in infectious disease surveillance is not just technological but strategy-based as an imperative for global and national health security. The ability to detect, monitor, and respond to health threats with more precision and innovation can be the difference between safeguarding the health, prosperity, and livelihood of future generations or succumbing to mass loss of life. Knowing this, we provide technical and professional support services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Global Health Protection (DGHP). We provide services and support in field epidemiology, surveillance, emergency management, and laboratory activities that enhance the CDC’s capacity to monitor and support the implementation of the DRC’s vision to promote a healthier, safer world that can prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks and public health threats.

At Bizzell, we prioritize global solutions to health. We are committed to developing collaborative strategies, weaving together multidisciplinary approaches, strategic partnerships, and innovative technologies. By leveraging diverse expertise and fostering collaborations, Bizzell enhances global health outcomes, ensuring a comprehensive and unified response to complex health challenges. We hope that other health leaders duplicate the DMR framework for infectious disease surveillance as we all continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging threats.

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/wastewater-surveillance.html#:~:text=Wastewater%20surveillance%20captures%20presence%20of,or%20decreasing%20in%20a%20sewershed

Why Overdose Awareness Matters More Than Ever

Why Overdose Awareness Matters More Than Ever

International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31st, began in Australia 20 years ago to raise awareness of overdoses, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths, and remind us of the grief felt by the families and friends of those who have died due to substance use disorders (SUD). Today, International Overdose Awareness Day is recognized in more than 40 countries.

Isolation individuals have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health and SUD challenges, and reduced access to supportive communities and behavioral health care. Substance use and overdose deaths have increased during the pandemic.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and others have developed approaches, tips, and guidance for managing your mental health during this time, as well as links for locating treatment for substance use disorders. Anton C. Bizzell, MD, President/CEO of The Bizzell Group, has dedicated his career to improving access to quality substance abuse, mental health, and medical treatment and prevention services, and writes about timely behavioral health solutions in his monthly Psychology Today column, Mind Your Health. You can make a difference too, by accessing these resources and promoting behavioral health in your community.

Read more: Why Overdose Awareness Matters More Than Ever

Mobile Clinics Tested as a Way to Treat Substance Use Disorders

Mobile Clinics Tested as a Way to Treat Substance Use Disorders

Mobile health units may be able to help manage HIV infections and opioid use disorder. A clinical trial, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, aims to determine mobile clinics’ effectiveness and usefulness in opioid use disorder treatment. The clinical trial will have 860 participants, for 26 weeks and in five cities—Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.  Researchers will evaluate whether these mobile health units will help people to treat opioid use disorder and prevent or receive care for HIV/AIDS.

“If they have HIV/AIDS, it can then be transferred to another person,” said Anton C. Bizzell, MD, a physician who advocates for addressing healthcare disparities and the chief executive order of the Bizzell Group, tells Verywell. “It’s also important to know that we can decrease the incidence of substance abuse, as well as infections that can occur.” People may be reluctant to access appropriate health care due to stigma and cost. Dr. Bizzell states that if you take the mobile clinics to where people live and work, they are more likely to receive care.

Read more: NIH-Funded Study Tests Mobile Clinics as a Way to Treat Substance Abuse

Image Source: Métraux, J. (2021). Verywell/LifeLineMobile [Online Picture]. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/study-investigates-if-mobile-clinics-will-help-people-with-opioid-use-disorder-5190855

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day

Lisa Black – November 30, 2018

December 1, 2018 is World AIDS Day.  This year’s federal theme is “Saving Lives through Leadership and Partnership.”  HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is a serious public health crisis.  According to (UNAIDS) the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, there were approximately 36.9 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS in 2017; 1.8 million are children who are under the age of 15.  In 2017, an estimated 1.8 million individuals worldwide became newly infected with HIV—nearly 5000 new infections per day.  This includes 180,000 children, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa and were infected by their HIV-positive mothers during pregnancy (mother-to-child transmission) or during breastfeeding.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, pregnant women and their babies are at risk because:  

  • Pregnant women with HIV may not know they are infected, and women may not know that their partner has HIV.
  • Preconception care and family planning services are often not provided in HIV care settings.
  • Women living with HIV may not know they are pregnant, how to prevent or safely plan a pregnancy, or what they can do to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to their baby.
  • The risk of transmitting HIV to the baby is much higher if the mother does not stay on HIV treatment throughout pregnancy, labor, or delivery, or if HIV medicine is not provided to her baby. The risk is also higher if the mother acquires HIV during pregnancy. 
  • Social and economic factors, especially poverty, may make it harder for some women living with HIV to access health care.

In recognition of World AIDS Day, we are dedicated to, “Saving Lives through Leadership and Partnerships.”    

The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is committed to improving global health and we recognize that economic growth of nations.  It is our mission to provide quality research, education, training, and technical assistance related to this worldwide public health crisis.  We are a leader in partnering to set global standards for HIV prevention, the care and treatment of pregnant women, prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission; and the development of evidence-based strategies and global health initiatives.

Bizzell offers full-scale global and social impact assessments.  Our team members and subject matter experts have vast experience in addressing global health disparities, with an emphasis on improving worldwide health conditions by using data-driven strategies.  We offer expert support in the monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework; program and knowledge management; technology solutions; logistics; environmental scans; baseline studies; needs assessments; program development and implementation; and compliance and program auditing.

Bizzell has supported programs across the globe.  We are committed to improving global health conditions by offering our expertise and cadre of subject matter experts to identify and address health disparities.  Our goal is to find sustainable solutions to intractable international problems by supporting agencies, organizations, or other governing bodies who are equally committed to making a positive global impact.  Bizzell staff has previously managed programs in Africa including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and worked in Asia, including Thailand, has supported programs in Europe, and provided expert support in Haiti and the Pacific Islands.  Under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Bizzell staff worked to improve global health and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS. Bizzell staff has also provided proposal development, and programmatic and administrative support for the Military Malaria Research Program, which supports the development of a vaccine and drugs to treat malaria.

The Bizzell team oversaw the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) Global AIDS Program that established technical and financial infrastructure systems for the Global AIDS Program’s (GAP).  Bizzell supported the GAP missions in Ethiopia and Malawi by developing protocols for establishing and sustaining relationships between U.S. entities and local organizations, such as the Ministry of Health (MoH), military, local schools, and hospitals. This included developing, designing, and implementing administrative systems within the Office of the Chief of Party, including procurement, budget, and personnel systems.  The Bizzell team also established and implemented monitoring and evaluation systems, including evidence- based trainings to support effective public health programs for HIV/AIDS, TB and STI in Ethiopia, and facilitated linkages to other in-country programs and organizations for sharing of monitoring and evaluation data.

Bizzell; “Saving Lives through Leadership and Partnerships.”