Question
My niece’s child was diagnosed with tetanus shortly after birth and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital. I’ve been reading some articles about neonatal tetanus recently. What is active monitoring for neonatal tetanus?
Answer
Active monitoring for neonatal tetanus involves the enhanced active search for neonatal tetanus cases by various monitoring units, and the implementation of a ‘zero’ case reporting system. Considering the characteristics of neonatal tetanus onset and diagnosis, it is important to pay special attention to the role of rural and village-level health personnel in actively searching for neonatal tetanus cases. Strengthen the reporting of neonatal tetanus and deaths of newborns with unknown causes. Health and epidemic prevention stations at all levels should check the reporting status of suspected neonatal tetanus cases at women’s and children’s hospitals, children’s hospitals, infectious disease hospitals, and general hospitals in their jurisdiction every month. Search for neonatal tetanus cases; at the same time, strengthen understanding and data collection on the situation of neonatal tetanus in the community. When conducting AFP surveys in hospitals or communities, pay attention to collecting data on neonatal tetanus cases.