Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response

Process mapping is a systems thinking approach used to understand, analyse and optimise processes within complex systems. We aim to demonstrate how this methodology can be applied during disease outbreaks to strengthen response and health systems. Process mapping exercises were conducted during thre...

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Main Authors: Ambrose Talisuna, Mamadou Harouna Djingarey, Pierre Formenty, Adesola Yinka-Ogunleye, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Kara N Durski, Michael Osterholm, Ibrahim Mamadu, Sylvie Briand, Ibrahima-Soce Fall, Amara Jambai, Dhamari Naidoo, Shalini Singaravelu, Anita A Shah, James Banjura, Benoit Kebela, Womi Eteng, Mohamed Vandi, Charles Keimbe, Anwar Abubakar, Abulazeez Mohammed, Desmond E Williams, Margaret Lamunu, Jean Claude Changa Changa, Etienne Minkoulou, Dan Jernigan, Demba Lubambo, Asheena Khalakdina, Albert Mbule Kadiobo, Bruce Aylward
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-10-01
Series:BMJ Global Health
Online Access:https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/10/e003901.full
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author Ambrose Talisuna
Mamadou Harouna Djingarey
Pierre Formenty
Adesola Yinka-Ogunleye
Chikwe Ihekweazu
Kara N Durski
Michael Osterholm
Ibrahim Mamadu
Sylvie Briand
Ibrahima-Soce Fall
Amara Jambai
Dhamari Naidoo
Shalini Singaravelu
Anita A Shah
James Banjura
Benoit Kebela
Womi Eteng
Mohamed Vandi
Charles Keimbe
Anwar Abubakar
Abulazeez Mohammed
Desmond E Williams
Margaret Lamunu
Jean Claude Changa Changa
Etienne Minkoulou
Dan Jernigan
Demba Lubambo
Asheena Khalakdina
Albert Mbule Kadiobo
Bruce Aylward
author_facet Ambrose Talisuna
Mamadou Harouna Djingarey
Pierre Formenty
Adesola Yinka-Ogunleye
Chikwe Ihekweazu
Kara N Durski
Michael Osterholm
Ibrahim Mamadu
Sylvie Briand
Ibrahima-Soce Fall
Amara Jambai
Dhamari Naidoo
Shalini Singaravelu
Anita A Shah
James Banjura
Benoit Kebela
Womi Eteng
Mohamed Vandi
Charles Keimbe
Anwar Abubakar
Abulazeez Mohammed
Desmond E Williams
Margaret Lamunu
Jean Claude Changa Changa
Etienne Minkoulou
Dan Jernigan
Demba Lubambo
Asheena Khalakdina
Albert Mbule Kadiobo
Bruce Aylward
author_sort Ambrose Talisuna
collection DOAJ
description Process mapping is a systems thinking approach used to understand, analyse and optimise processes within complex systems. We aim to demonstrate how this methodology can be applied during disease outbreaks to strengthen response and health systems. Process mapping exercises were conducted during three unique emerging disease outbreak contexts with different: mode of transmission, size, and health system infrastructure. System functioning improved considerably in each country. In Sierra Leone, laboratory testing was accelerated from 6 days to within 24 hours. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, time to suspected case notification reduced from 7 to 3 days. In Nigeria, key data reached the national level in 48 hours instead of 5 days. Our research shows that despite the chaos and complexities associated with emerging pathogen outbreaks, the implementation of a process mapping exercise can address immediate response priorities while simultaneously strengthening components of a health system.
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spelling doaj-art-8a5d060e83ff452da79c466214cf84652025-08-20T02:08:43ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082020-10-0151010.1136/bmjgh-2020-003901Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak responseAmbrose Talisuna0Mamadou Harouna Djingarey1Pierre Formenty2Adesola Yinka-Ogunleye3Chikwe Ihekweazu4Kara N Durski5Michael Osterholm6Ibrahim Mamadu7Sylvie Briand8Ibrahima-Soce Fall9Amara Jambai10Dhamari Naidoo11Shalini Singaravelu12Anita A Shah13James Banjura14Benoit Kebela15Womi Eteng16Mohamed Vandi17Charles Keimbe18Anwar Abubakar19Abulazeez Mohammed20Desmond E Williams21Margaret Lamunu22Jean Claude Changa Changa23Etienne Minkoulou24Dan Jernigan25Demba Lubambo26Asheena Khalakdina27Albert Mbule Kadiobo28Bruce Aylward291 Emergency Preparedness and Response Cluster, WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, CongoWorld Health Organization, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization, Geneve, SwitzerlandDepartment of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, NigeriaOffice of the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, NigeriaWorld Health Organization, Geneva, SwitzerlandUniversity of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USAWorld Health Organization Country Office for Nigeria, Abuja, NigeriaWorld Health Organization, Geneve, Switzerland7 Health Emergencies Program, World Health Organization, Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandMinistry of Health and Sanitation, Government of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Western Area, Sierra LeoneWorld Health Organization, Geneve, SwitzerlandWorld Health Organization, Geneve, SwitzerlandWorld Health Organization, Geneve, SwitzerlandSierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneMinistry of Health Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoNigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, NigeriaSierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneSierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Sierra LeoneHealth Emergency Preparedness and Response, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, NigeriaAfrica Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USAWorld Health Organization, Freetown, Sierra LeoneInstitut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USAWorld Health Organization, Brazzaville, Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization, Geneve, SwitzerlandWorld Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of CongoWorld Health Organization, Geneve, SwitzerlandProcess mapping is a systems thinking approach used to understand, analyse and optimise processes within complex systems. We aim to demonstrate how this methodology can be applied during disease outbreaks to strengthen response and health systems. Process mapping exercises were conducted during three unique emerging disease outbreak contexts with different: mode of transmission, size, and health system infrastructure. System functioning improved considerably in each country. In Sierra Leone, laboratory testing was accelerated from 6 days to within 24 hours. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, time to suspected case notification reduced from 7 to 3 days. In Nigeria, key data reached the national level in 48 hours instead of 5 days. Our research shows that despite the chaos and complexities associated with emerging pathogen outbreaks, the implementation of a process mapping exercise can address immediate response priorities while simultaneously strengthening components of a health system.https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/10/e003901.full
spellingShingle Ambrose Talisuna
Mamadou Harouna Djingarey
Pierre Formenty
Adesola Yinka-Ogunleye
Chikwe Ihekweazu
Kara N Durski
Michael Osterholm
Ibrahim Mamadu
Sylvie Briand
Ibrahima-Soce Fall
Amara Jambai
Dhamari Naidoo
Shalini Singaravelu
Anita A Shah
James Banjura
Benoit Kebela
Womi Eteng
Mohamed Vandi
Charles Keimbe
Anwar Abubakar
Abulazeez Mohammed
Desmond E Williams
Margaret Lamunu
Jean Claude Changa Changa
Etienne Minkoulou
Dan Jernigan
Demba Lubambo
Asheena Khalakdina
Albert Mbule Kadiobo
Bruce Aylward
Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response
BMJ Global Health
title Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response
title_full Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response
title_fullStr Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response
title_full_unstemmed Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response
title_short Systems thinking for health emergencies: use of process mapping during outbreak response
title_sort systems thinking for health emergencies use of process mapping during outbreak response
url https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/10/e003901.full
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