Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.

Despite a half-century-long global eradication effort, polio continues to have a devastating impact on individuals and communities worldwide, especially in low-income countries affected by conflict or geographic barriers to immunization programs. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) Glob...

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Main Authors: John Kapoi Kipterer, Kebba Touray, Akpan Ubong Godwin, Aboubakar Cisse, Babona Nshuti Marie Aimee, Ngobe Busisiwe, Chefor Ymele Demeveng Derrick, Green Hugh Henry, Ndoutabe Modjirom, Vince Seaman, Jamal Ahmed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307001
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author John Kapoi Kipterer
Kebba Touray
Akpan Ubong Godwin
Aboubakar Cisse
Babona Nshuti Marie Aimee
Ngobe Busisiwe
Chefor Ymele Demeveng Derrick
Green Hugh Henry
Ndoutabe Modjirom
Vince Seaman
Jamal Ahmed
author_facet John Kapoi Kipterer
Kebba Touray
Akpan Ubong Godwin
Aboubakar Cisse
Babona Nshuti Marie Aimee
Ngobe Busisiwe
Chefor Ymele Demeveng Derrick
Green Hugh Henry
Ndoutabe Modjirom
Vince Seaman
Jamal Ahmed
author_sort John Kapoi Kipterer
collection DOAJ
description Despite a half-century-long global eradication effort, polio continues to have a devastating impact on individuals and communities worldwide, especially in low-income countries affected by conflict or geographic barriers to immunization programs. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) employs disease surveillance and vaccination campaigns coordinated through the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) Geographic Information System (GIS) Centre. Established in 2017, the AFRO GIS Centre played a key role in the eradication of wild-type polioviruses (WPVs) in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic, emergence of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, and transmission of WPV1 from Central Asia have led to a resurgence of polio in Sub-Saharan Africa. The AFRO GIS comprises a set of mobile device or cloud-based tools for geospatial data collection, analysis, and visualization. Using tools such as Auto-Visual Acute Flaccid Paralysis Detection and Reporting, electronic surveillance, and Integrated Supportive Supervision, GIS personnel collect polio case numbers and locations, track field worker activities, follow the movements of nomadic populations vulnerable to polio and other diseases, and determine needs for further healthcare deployments. The system is location specific and operates in real time, enabling the AFRO GIS to promptly target its responses to polio, COVID-19, Ebola virus disease, and other public health crises and natural disasters. The present review describes the components of the AFRO GIS and how the AFRO GIS Centre coordinated on-the-ground polio eradication efforts to help secure Africa's certification as WPV free. It also examines current and prospective challenges regarding other disease outbreaks in the COVID-19 era and how the AFRO GIS Centre is addressing these ongoing public health needs.
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spelling doaj-art-8f621155f2474dddb6f9a2357022c6c82024-12-04T05:31:16ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01198e030700110.1371/journal.pone.0307001Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.John Kapoi KiptererKebba TourayAkpan Ubong GodwinAboubakar CisseBabona Nshuti Marie AimeeNgobe BusisiweChefor Ymele Demeveng DerrickGreen Hugh HenryNdoutabe ModjiromVince SeamanJamal AhmedDespite a half-century-long global eradication effort, polio continues to have a devastating impact on individuals and communities worldwide, especially in low-income countries affected by conflict or geographic barriers to immunization programs. In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) employs disease surveillance and vaccination campaigns coordinated through the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) Geographic Information System (GIS) Centre. Established in 2017, the AFRO GIS Centre played a key role in the eradication of wild-type polioviruses (WPVs) in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic, emergence of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, and transmission of WPV1 from Central Asia have led to a resurgence of polio in Sub-Saharan Africa. The AFRO GIS comprises a set of mobile device or cloud-based tools for geospatial data collection, analysis, and visualization. Using tools such as Auto-Visual Acute Flaccid Paralysis Detection and Reporting, electronic surveillance, and Integrated Supportive Supervision, GIS personnel collect polio case numbers and locations, track field worker activities, follow the movements of nomadic populations vulnerable to polio and other diseases, and determine needs for further healthcare deployments. The system is location specific and operates in real time, enabling the AFRO GIS to promptly target its responses to polio, COVID-19, Ebola virus disease, and other public health crises and natural disasters. The present review describes the components of the AFRO GIS and how the AFRO GIS Centre coordinated on-the-ground polio eradication efforts to help secure Africa's certification as WPV free. It also examines current and prospective challenges regarding other disease outbreaks in the COVID-19 era and how the AFRO GIS Centre is addressing these ongoing public health needs.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307001
spellingShingle John Kapoi Kipterer
Kebba Touray
Akpan Ubong Godwin
Aboubakar Cisse
Babona Nshuti Marie Aimee
Ngobe Busisiwe
Chefor Ymele Demeveng Derrick
Green Hugh Henry
Ndoutabe Modjirom
Vince Seaman
Jamal Ahmed
Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.
PLoS ONE
title Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.
title_full Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.
title_fullStr Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.
title_full_unstemmed Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.
title_short Geographic information system and information visualization capacity building: Successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the COVID-19 era for the World Health Organization's African region.
title_sort geographic information system and information visualization capacity building successful polio eradication and current and future challenges in the covid 19 era for the world health organization s african region
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307001
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