Development of a Model for Surveillance Prevention and Control of Food and Waterborne diseases in Scout Camps in Saraburi Province

Abstract

This study aimed to examine existing problems, develop a model, and evaluate the outcomes of a surveillance, prevention, and control system for food and waterborne diseases in scout camps in Saraburi Province. The research employed a Research and Development (R&D) design and a mixed-methods approach, using both retrospective and prospective analyses. The study was conducted in three phases: (1) assessing the problems, (2) developing the surveillance and control model, and (3) evaluating the outcomes. Data were collected from 64 key informants, including 13 scout camp operators, 26 cooks and food servers, three directors of subdistrict health-promoting hospitals, seven public health officers, and 13 teachers/students. Qualitative data were analyzed through interpretation and thematic conclusion, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that 90.00% of scout camps required improvements in food and water sanitation as well as latrine standards. Problems included cooks not receiving annual health examinations, lack of health screening for camp participants, and the absence of food and waterborne disease surveillance system. In collaboration with relevant agencies, the Office of Disease Prevention and Control 4, Saraburi, developed a model that included training for camp operators and cooks, provision of health education materials, development of surveillance guidelines, and establishment of an evaluation team. Evaluation results showed no outbreaks of food- and waterborne diseases in scout camps from 2019 to August 2025. Of the 13 scout camps, 12 (92.31%) achieved “excellent” standard ratings, while one achieved a “good” rating. Improvements implemented by the camps included discontinuing the use of ice, replacing it with bottled drinking water, upgrading kitchen facilities to meet standards, improving kitchen ventilation, and ensuring proper cold storage of fresh food according to health standards.