Evaluation of the Surveillance and Rapid Respond Team (SRRT) district to disease prevention and control at Thailand’s border with Myanmar, Laos PDR, and Cambodia

Abstract

The trend of cross-border infectious diseases is continuously increasing despite having robust international disease prevention and control systems in place. The Surveillance and Rapid Response Team (SRRT) is a crucial surveillance, investigation, and disease control tool. This study aimed to investigate and evaluate the outcomes of the SRRT's measures for cross-border rapid response regarding processes, outputs, and outcomes. It also seeks to identify operational challenges from implementing these measures along the border between Thailand and the neighbouring countries of Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. This study conducts a summative evaluation after project ending. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. The performance evaluation was focused on 2 Key Results Areas (KRA) and 6 Key Performance Indicators (KPI). The study was conducted at 3 border areas: 1) Thailand - Myanmar border in Muang District, Ranong Province, and Mae Sot District, Tak Province. 2) Thailand - Laos border in Sirindhorn District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, and Muang District, Nong Khai Province. 3) Thailand - Cambodia border in Khlong Yai District, Trat Province, and Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data analysis was performed using typological analysis, categorizing data into types (typologies). Analytic induction is then applied to analyze the data in a deductive manner. The study found that the overall evaluation of the SRRT measures is equivalent to the target goal, with a score of 2.22 out of a maximum score of 3.0. This indicates that the SRRT measures have the potential for surveillance, prevention, and control of diseases at border areas. The province that has achieved performance higher than the target was Tak province, scoring 2.61. The challenges are identified and categorized as follows: 1) frequent personnel turnover, 2) insufficient budget, 3) inadequate supplies and equipment, 4) coordination with other agencies, 5) inconsistencies between the Ministry of Public Health policies and local government organizations, 6) development of capabilities not covering all diseases, 7) incomplete reporting of disease investigations due to the heavy workload of the SRRT, and 8) language limitations. Recommendations suggest that, due to the complexity of border areas, there should be the establishment of a diverse and comprehensive network, including enhancing the capabilities of public health officials to align with the issues at border areas to ensure that health problems in border regions are appropriately and sustainably addressed.