Nigeria: IBM Deploys Technology-Based Solutions to Track EVD in W/A

The recent call by the Africa Emergency Technology Response Forum (AETRF),for more concerted efforts to bring robust technological responses to Ebola crisis has started yielding the expected results with the latest IBM intervention.

AETRF, led by Chris Uwaje, promoter of Malaria Destro Game and other African techies is an informal network of African technology professionals engaged in Ebola response on the continent and in the Diaspora

Just last week, IBM has deployed its advanced super computing assets and capabilities in the cloud, mobile, data and analytics space to fight the spread of the epidemic, especially in the worst hit nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

How it works

Bytapping supercomputing power and analytics capabilities via the cloud, according to IBM, the system is able to rapidly identify correlations and highlight emerging issues across the entire data set of messages.

With the humanitarian initiatives to curb spread of the disease in West Africa, IBM is currently looking to extend the work to analyze mobile phone signal data in order to monitor and track population movement enabling scientists to map and predict the spread of the disease.

The system, a collaboration between IBM, mobile telephone companies, governments and academics, allows people in affected areas to send free text messages about Ebola to track problems and trends, with the program mapping the exact location from where it is sent.

Accordingly, IBM's Connections technology provides health workers and administrators with a reliable and secure digital platform to work together virtually and in person, enabling them to securely share documents, identify experts, exchange video, chat and audio messages, provide updates, tap into information via mobile devices and hold virtual meetings.

Partners

The work benefits from contributions from a number of partners including Federal Government of Nigeria, and Lagos State authorities, Sierra Leone's Open Government Initiative, Cambridge University's Africa's Voices project, Airtel and Kenya's Echo Mobile.

Connections technology to Nigeria

While Nigeria maintains a leadership position in the fight against Ebola with the recent declaration by the World Health Organization that the country is Ebola free, IBM has donated its Connections technology to Lagos State Government to prevent future outbreak.

The donation is expected to strengthen the coordination of public health emergency response teams and ensure that the Lagos State Government is able to manage and respond to any new reported cases of Ebola or future epidemics.

"Governments should constantly aim for proactive delivery of social services to citizens and by leveraging on technology, improved governance and better management of resources and assets can be achieved." Adebiyi Mabadeje, Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology in Lagos State, said.

According to the Commissioner, "IBM's SmartCloud grant to the Lagos State Government is a unique contribution that would enhance our capacity to respond to and better manage emergencies with deeper insights and know-how."

Open dialogue needed

"For us to tackle Ebola, it is crucial to maintain an open dialogue between the government and the people of Sierra Leone," Khadija Sesay Director of Sierra Leone's Open Government Initiative, said, adding that, "IBM has enhanced our work on citizen engagement through the use of innovative technology and opened up an effective communication channel with the general public so that we can learn from their input and create actionable policies in the fight against Ebola."

Explaining further on how the technology could curb EVD, Dr. Uyi Stewart, Chief Scientist, IBM Research Africa, said that, "As Africa's first technology research lab, we are uniquely positioned to use innovation to help tackle some of the continent's biggest challenges.

"We saw the need to quickly develop a system to enable communities directly affected by Ebola to provide valuable insight about how to fight it. Using mobile technology, we have given them a voice and a channel to communicate their experiences directly to the government.".

Source: Vanguard