1.3 Types of Surveillance Programmes
Surveillance programmes can be population based or hospital/facility based and take an active or passive case ascertainment approach, or can be a hybrid of the two. More information about types of programmes and case ascertainment can be found in Chapter 3.
Population-based congenital anomalies surveillance programmes capture birth outcomes with congenital anomalies that occur among a population that is resident in a defined geographical area.
Hospital- or facility-based congenital anomalies surveillance programmes capture birth outcomes with congenital anomalies that occur in selected facilities. Sentinel congenital anomalies surveillance programmes are generally set up in one or a few facilities/hospitals, to obtain rapid estimates of the occurrence of an adverse birth outcome.