Methodological Evaluation of Public Health Surveillance Systems Adoption in Ghana Using Panel Data Analysis

Public health surveillance systems are essential for monitoring disease prevalence and guiding public health interventions in Ghana. Panel data analysis was employed to assess the adoption rates of public health surveillance systems across different healthcare facilities in Ghana over a five-year period. The model used is represented as Yᵢₜ = eta₀ + eta₁Xᵢₜ + eta₂Dₜ + uᵢₜ, where Yᵢₜ represents the adoption rate for facility i at time t, Xᵢₜ includes covariates such as funding levels and facility size, Dₜ is a dummy variable indicating the presence of surveillance system in year t, and uᵢₜ captures unobserved heterogeneity. The model estimated an adoption rate of 60% for public health surveillance systems across healthcare facilities in Ghana over five years. Panel data analysis revealed that funding levels significantly influenced the adoption of public health surveillance systems, with larger facilities being more likely to adopt these systems. Public health authorities should prioritise increased funding and capacity building initiatives for smaller healthcare facilities to enhance their ability to adopt and utilise public health surveillance systems effectively.