The Epidemiology Unit is responsible for collection, compilation, analysis, and interpretation of health data and the dissemination of timely and validated health information to support evidence-based decision making on current and emerging health situations at the local, regional and national levels. The unit is also responsible for disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, control of communicable and non-communicable diseases and the National Program on the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis (TB), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), which has now been integrated as part of its surveillance and disease prevention activities.

As the health sector works effortlessly and with good measure of shared responsibility with other partners to achieve its vision of an “efficient and equitable health service for all”, the Epidemiology Unit has constantly been working to produce evidence based data that can provide stakeholders to formulate and strengthen health policies both national and regionally.

The Epidemiology Unit engages partnerships through consistent and collaborative efforts that support the health regions and district Surveillance Committees in safeguarding and improving the health of the populations that they serve, and finding adequate measures to address the most pressing public health challenges.

Top priorities of the unit include disease surveillance, outbreak investigation and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases. The unit provides periodic reports on the status of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and ensures that validated dated on morbidity and mortality are available to health personnel, pertinent stakeholders and to the general public.