Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan by area, has historically faced challenges in priority diseases data collection due to its vast, sparsely populated terrain, limited infrastructure and resource constraints. Poor internet connectivity in remote areas further hampers real-time data reporting and communication between healthcare facilities and central surveillance units. The availability of trained staff for analysis of data from District Health Information System (DHIS2) for Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system is critical for effective public health responses.

Balochistan has demonstrated consistent improvements in IDSR implementation, performance and independent outbreak monitoring. Recognising this progress, the National Institute of Health (NIH), organised an advanced training workshop to further strengthen the province’s capabilities. A five-day Sub-National Capacity-Building Workshop on Statistical Data Analysis of IDSR/Surveillance and Outbreak Investigations took place from 30 December 2024, to 3 January, 2025, in Quetta, Balochistan.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) International Health Regulations Strengthening Project (IHR-SP) provided technical support in developing the curriculum and modules for the workshop. In addition, IHR-SP Technical Advisers facilitated sessions for selected modules and led all group exercises and hands-on practice activities. the workshop trained 30 participants, including surveillance coordinators and data managers from across the province. The training aimed to enhance analytical skills, leading to more effective disease surveillance and public health responses in the region.

The workshop reinforced the principles of indicator-based and event-based surveillance before transitioning into practical sessions on data downloading, preparation and analysis by time, place and person. Each day was carefully structured to maximise learning, and hands-on exercises covered descriptive and inferential statistics including regression analysis, measures of association and various epidemiological study designs. Participants gained practical experience using epidemiological software such as Epi-Info and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) equipping them to transform raw data into actionable insights.

The training concluded with a vote of thanks from NIH and UKHSA, acknowledging the participants' active engagement and commitment to enhancing their statistical and technical skills. Participants shared reflections on their learning experiences, noting that this was their first comprehensive training course on data analysis, surveillance, epidemiology and hands-on statistical software practice. This workshop sets the stage for future initiatives to further build statistical and epidemiological capacity at the sub-national level.