GEEKS project drives advancements in E-health with district-level support supervision
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by
AFENET
In a bid to bolster national health information systems, the Growing Expertise in E-Health Knowledge and Skills (GEEKS) program, a 12-month applied informatics training initiative under the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), continues to empower public health professionals by engaging them in mentoring healthcare workers.
This week, from December 3 to December 9, 2023, the GEEKS project is undertaking a crucial supportive supervisory exercise on utilizing electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (eISDR) across 38 districts in Uganda.
Following the nationwide training of all biostatisticians and surveillance focal persons at the district and health sub-district level on eIDSR supported by WHO in August 2023, the project seeks to provide technical support and address the challenges leading to ineffective utilization of the eIDSR system for case-based reporting on Measles/Rubella (MR) and Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) at the district level. The exercise is on districts that sent samples from MR or AFP case investigations to UVRI (Uganda Virus Research Institute) but have no data or less data in the eIDSR.
Mr. Robinson Amanyiraho, the Project Lead for GEEKS at AFENET, is highly confident about the initiative. He firmly believes that reporting onsite field challenges and providing valuable recommendations to the Ministry of Health (MOH) will improve the system’s utilization during case investigations.
As GEEKS continues to play a pivotal role in building in-country workforce capacity, its latest endeavor marks a significant step towards a more resilient and responsive disease surveillance infrastructure in Uganda.
About GEEKS
GEEKS (Growing Expertise in E-Health Knowledge and Skills) program is a 12-month applied informatics training program for informatics professionals working in public health to develop in-country workforce capacity that improves national health information systems. The trainees/fellows complete competency-based training while performing a valuable public health service. By the close of the 12 months, graduates will have increased their ability to use quality data to make evidence-based decisions in the government’s approach to various health threats.
