Disease surveillance, particularly of infectious diseases, has a long history. There are many book chapters and articles providing detailed accounts of systematically collated health information [1]. Conventionally, modern health surveillance commences with John Snow’s observations of the epidemic of cholera in London’s Soho district in 1854 [2], culminating in the iconic (but probably ineffective) removal of the handle from Broad Street pump. It is significant that although Snow did not know that the Vibrio cholerae bacterium was the causative organism, surveillance played a part in resolving the epidemic. Disease surveillance has a crucial role in evaluating and shaping responses to major public health problems, as was clearly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Not all causes of untimely death or ill health are due to the disease of interest, but surveillance provides a firm foundation for public health interventions of all types [1].