Timely, Relevant, Comprehensive and Actionable Health Surveillance

The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division is the central epidemiologic health resource for the U.S. military. We conduct medical surveillance to protect those who serve our nation in uniform and allies who are critical to our national security interests. AFHSD is a division within DHA’s Public Health.

AFHSD is organized into four branches: Data Management and Technical Support, Epidemiology and Analysis, Global Emerging Infections Surveillance, and Integrated Biosurveillance. 

We maintain a presence at three service public health centers for Army, Navy, and Air Force — the Defense Centers for Public Health – AberdeenDCPH-A, Defense Centers for Public Health – DaytonDCPH-D, and Defense Centers for Public Health – PortsmouthDCPH-P.

Learn how our health information analysis supports worldwide disease surveillance and public health activities to improve the U.S. military’s Force Health Protection mission. 

Vision

To be the central, integrated, customer-focused epidemiologic & global health surveillance resource for the DOD.

Mission

To provide timely, relevant, and actionable comprehensive health surveillance support to the Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, and military services in order to assess, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from all health hazards.

Critical Functions

• Acquire, analyze/interpret, and disseminate health surveillance information and recommend evidence-based policy.
• Develop, refine, and improve standardized surveillance methods. 
• Serve as a focal point for sharing health surveillance products, expertise, and information. 
• Coordinate a global program of militarily relevant infectious disease surveillance.

Explore our health surveillance resources to learn how to utilize our data applications, systems and the ways our health information analysis supports worldwide disease surveillance and public health activities to improve the U.S. military's Force Health Protection program.

The Medical Surveillance Monthly Report is AFHSD's flagship publication. The monthly peer-reviewed journal provides evidence-based estimates of the incidence, distribution, impact, and trends of health-related conditions among service members. Additionally, the MSMR focuses one issue per year on the absolute and relative morbidity burden attributable to various illnesses and injuries among service members and beneficiaries.

View Current Report View Archived ReportsArchived Reports

The Health Surveillance Explorer is a dynamic CAC-enabled mapping application that allows the Geo­graphic Combatant Commands to identify global health threats and disease outbreaks in near-real time. It provides timely, relevant and actionable health surveillance information to military leaders around the globe. The HSE makes it more efficient and effective to assemble surveillance data.

Launch HSE

The Proposal Management Information System program is a web-based application used to facilitate program management at the AFHSD's Global Emerging Infections Surveillance section. Investigators in the GEIS partner network submit proposals for funding consideration and GEIS operations staff monitors the progress of those projects.

Go to ProMIS

The Defense Medical Epidemiology Database provides worldwide access to de-identified data contained in the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Through this user-friendly interface, authorized users can create customized queries of disease and injury rates in active duty populations.

Go to DMED