The list below of community case definitions are intended to act as guidance only and should be reviewed and adapted alongside Ministry of Health and local partners. The list is composed of frequently considered health risks the Red Cross and Red Crescent Membership consider in community-based surveillance (CBS) activities but should be considered with the context and adapted as needed for each country or context CBS is implemented.
Adaptations of community case definitions should consider:
- Established community case definitions by Ministries of Health/ Agriculture/ National CDC, WHO, OIE, FAO
- Local languages and phrasing, including literacy and common terminology
- Sensitivity and specificity to ensure volunteers do not need medical training to identify a health risk, but also that the selected definition is not too general to cause too large an increase in alerts overwhelming the system.
- National Societies may also want to consider setting alert thresholds for some health risks associated with priority diseases. These thresholds if selected should be set alongside national standards and the local context.