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The APSU

A Unit of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Paediatrics and Child Health Division

Celebrating 15 years of surveillance 1993 - 2007

The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) is a national resource, established in 1993 to facilitate active surveillance of uncommon childhood diseases, complications of common diseases or adverse effects of treatment. Diseases are chosen for their public health significance and impact on health resources. To date, a range of infectious, vaccine preventable, mental health, congenital and genetic conditions and injuries have been studied. For many childhood conditions, the APSU is the only national mechanism for data collection.
 

APSU has been used by over 220 individual researchers, to run 42 surveillance studies, 17 are currently ongoing and the unit has been influential in the development of international surveillance units. Currently there are 15 surveillance units worldwide. Epidemiological and clinical data collected through the APSU are of direct relevance to clinical and public health policy and resource allocation and thus impact on the health and welfare of Australian children.

 

Aims:

 

To provide a national active surveillance mechanism that can be used to:

  • study the epidemiology, clinical features, current management and short term outcomes of rare childhood conditions in Australia;
  • respond to epidemiological emergencies such as outbreaks and emerging disease conditions.
  •  initiate and facilitate national collaborative research consistant with national child health priorities, including a ‘healthy start to life’ and to fill knowledge gaps.

 

To produce and disseminate evidence that will support:

  • the development of effective educational strategies and clinical guidlelines for clinicians;
  • the development of appropriate prevention strategies and community awareness campaigns; and research in child health;
  • the development of evidence based policy.