Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Health Measures During Infectious Disease Outbreaks: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Over the previous three decades, the incidence of infectious disease outbreaks has considerably increased and the trend is expected to increase further. Public health measures are essential for controlling and preventing emerging outbreaks of infectious illnesses. This study is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of public health measures during infectious disease outbreaks by summarizing the outcomes from the available evidence in the literature. A systematic review was carried out through a detailed search strategy using specific keywords applied across different electronic databases, including the Science Direct, PubMed, and EMBASE databases. Studies published between 2015 and 2024 were included with a focus on cohorts, clinical trials, longitudinal studies, case-control, and quasi-experimental studies. Low-quality studies and those published before 2015 along with incorrect findings or measures were excluded. A standardized form was used for data extraction. The quality of included studies and the risk of bias were assessed through relevant techniques. The obtained data was narrative synthesized and findings were organized systematically. The reviewed studies revealed that public health measures are considerably effective against infectious disease outbreaks. The success of various measures such as social isolation, confinement measures, and public education on hygiene against different outbreaks of respiratory infectious diseases has been well-established in the literature. Moreover, the timing of intervention application plays a vital role in their success. The implementation in the early phase of an outbreak is highly effective, as it protects more people from infection and controls the overall burden of the disease. The systematic review provided valuable insights into the efficiency of public health measures in monitoring outbreaks of infectious illnesses. The main findings suggest that appropriate public health interventions are effective in controlling the incidence of contagious disease outbreaks. Ongoing research strives to investigate measures that are most effective from the perspective of public health against various transmittable diseases to prevent future outbreaks.