(16) Use case: supporting polio eradication and Ebola outbreak response

Topic: Use case: supporting polio eradication and Ebola outbreak response

Presenter :Kazeem Owolabi

Type: Oral

eHealth Africa is an NGO based in Nigeria that is at the center of polio eradication in Northern Nigeria as well as the Ebola outbreak response in West-Africa. The organization is focused on improving healthcare by creating effective ways of implementing reliable health information management systems, and has a strong emphasis on utilizing GIS and geospatial solutions.

Free and open-source geospatial solutions play a substantial role within the various health projects that eHealth Africa is assigned to. The organization has a team of about twenty GIS specialists in place to provide mapping, data collection and spatial analytics. To support the polio eradication activities, the northern half of Nigeria has been mapped and systems have been set-up to follow vaccination teams. To support the Ebola outbreak response teams, mobile equipment is being used to perform case surveillance, and mapping applications are developed in order to provide accurate insight for relief workers.

This presentation will showcase what it entails to map undeveloped areas for the cause of public health, how free and open-source software (a.o. OpenDataKit, MapServer, TinyOWS, OSRM) are utilized in aid projects, and what the role of OpenStreetMap and other open data is in providing health support.