By Analou De Vera The Department of Health (DOH) Calabarzon recently conducted an epidemiology summit in order to update the region's disease surveillance officers (DSOs) regarding the Universal Health Care. Department of Health (MANILA BULLETIN) “The summit was conducted to gather all DSOs of Local Government Units (LGUs) to reestablish and strengthen the network to ensure a standard proactive surveillance and response system from the community up to the national level that will harmonize existing systems and synchronize efforts in implementing health interventions,” said John Bobbie Roca, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU). Regional Director Eduardo Janairo said that it is important to strengthen disease surveillance as it is "the foundation of public health decision-making and practice." "With an efficient and effective diseases surveillance system, the public will be protected from health threats and diseases both emerging and reemerging infectious diseases and those up for elimination and eradication," he said. "This is still part of universal health care, strengthening of the primary care through timely and proper reporting of notifiable diseases in the community, and establishing immediate prevention and control measures to prevent the incidence of outbreaks," he added. The DOH Calabarzon said that an organized disease surveillance system provides an effective system that monitors disease outbreaks, confirms diagnosis when necessary through laboratory tests, and reports outbreaks in a timely manner. It also has a role in taking action to "prevent future outbreaks and evaluates the performance of both the intervention and the surveillance system itself."