Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergencies
Community engagement and community-based surveillance are essential components of responding to infectious disease outbreaks, but real-time data reporting remains a challenge. In the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the Social Mobilisation Action Consortium was formed to scale-up structured...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2020-12-01
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| Series: | BMJ Global Health |
| Online Access: | https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/12/e003936.full |
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| author | Katharine Owen Mohammad B Jalloh Paul Sengeh Mohamed F Jalloh Jamie Bedson Saiku Bah Allan Oniba Musa Sangarie Nyuma James Samuel Abu Pratt Samuel Sesay |
| author_facet | Katharine Owen Mohammad B Jalloh Paul Sengeh Mohamed F Jalloh Jamie Bedson Saiku Bah Allan Oniba Musa Sangarie Nyuma James Samuel Abu Pratt Samuel Sesay |
| author_sort | Katharine Owen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Community engagement and community-based surveillance are essential components of responding to infectious disease outbreaks, but real-time data reporting remains a challenge. In the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the Social Mobilisation Action Consortium was formed to scale-up structured, data-driven community engagement. The consortium became operational across all 14 districts and supported an expansive network of 2500 community mobilisers, 6000 faith leaders and 42 partner radio stations. The benefit of a more agile digital reporting system became apparent within few months of implementing paper-based reporting given the need to rapidly use the data to inform the fast-evolving epidemic. In this paper, we aim to document the design, deployment and implementation of a digital reporting system used in six high transmission districts. We highlight lessons learnt from our experience in scaling up the digital reporting system during an unprecedented public health crisis. The lessons learnt from our experience in Sierra Leone have important implications for designing and implementing similar digital reporting systems for community engagement and community-based surveillance during public health emergencies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cead011658f44962a6fdf8a4fd40173b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2059-7908 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Global Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-cead011658f44962a6fdf8a4fd40173b2025-08-20T02:31:16ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082020-12-0151210.1136/bmjgh-2020-003936Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergenciesKatharine Owen0Mohammad B Jalloh1Paul Sengeh2Mohamed F Jalloh3Jamie Bedson4Saiku Bah5Allan Oniba6Musa Sangarie7Nyuma James8Samuel Abu Pratt9Samuel Sesay10GOAL, Freetown, Sierra LeoneFOCUS 1000, Freetown, Sierra LeoneFOCUS1000, Freetown, Sierra LeoneFocus 1000, Freetown, Sierra LeoneRestless Development Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneRestless Development Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra LeoneGOAL, Freetown, Sierra LeoneBBC Media Action, Freetown, Sierra LeoneFocus 1000, Freetown, Sierra LeoneFOCUS1000, Freetown, Sierra LeoneHealth Education Division, Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown, Western Area, Sierra LeoneCommunity engagement and community-based surveillance are essential components of responding to infectious disease outbreaks, but real-time data reporting remains a challenge. In the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the Social Mobilisation Action Consortium was formed to scale-up structured, data-driven community engagement. The consortium became operational across all 14 districts and supported an expansive network of 2500 community mobilisers, 6000 faith leaders and 42 partner radio stations. The benefit of a more agile digital reporting system became apparent within few months of implementing paper-based reporting given the need to rapidly use the data to inform the fast-evolving epidemic. In this paper, we aim to document the design, deployment and implementation of a digital reporting system used in six high transmission districts. We highlight lessons learnt from our experience in scaling up the digital reporting system during an unprecedented public health crisis. The lessons learnt from our experience in Sierra Leone have important implications for designing and implementing similar digital reporting systems for community engagement and community-based surveillance during public health emergencies.https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/12/e003936.full |
| spellingShingle | Katharine Owen Mohammad B Jalloh Paul Sengeh Mohamed F Jalloh Jamie Bedson Saiku Bah Allan Oniba Musa Sangarie Nyuma James Samuel Abu Pratt Samuel Sesay Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergencies BMJ Global Health |
| title | Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergencies |
| title_full | Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergencies |
| title_fullStr | Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergencies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergencies |
| title_short | Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone: lessons for future health emergencies |
| title_sort | integrated digital system for community engagement and community based surveillance during the 2014 2016 ebola outbreak in sierra leone lessons for future health emergencies |
| url | https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/12/e003936.full |
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