MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

Pak One Health Alliance

One-line solution summary:

POHA would conduct training workshops on Evidence Based Surveillance in ICT district. This will enhance capacity and response to outbreaks.

Pitch your solution.

The ultimate goal of this proposed project is to develop a joint One Health platform to enable early detection and coordinated response to disease outbreak. Accordingly, following objectives are envisioned to achieve the desired goal.

To train key stakeholders such as public health, veterinary and community members in detecting and responding to outbreaks via EBS training workshops.
To develop adequate ICT solutions to enable smart working between sectors
To develop guidelines and protocols to assist the appropriate implementation of new systems
To pilot the proposed solution in Islamabad Capital Territory
To showcase the developed tools and to share the experience in to other member countries and to larger global CORDS.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

Over the past few decades, Pakistan has suffered a great deal from infectious diseases such as dengue, Crimean-Congo fever, hepatitis, measles, and polio. Changing climate conditions, environmental degradation, global warming, loss of biodiversity, and other ecological determinants have a direct effect on these diseases and result in the emergence and reemergence of infectious entities. The causes of such disease outbreaks are complex and often not well understood due to their multi-sectoral nature. Dealing with an outbreak requires an integrated and coordinated approach, with decision making across different sectors. Stringent biosecurity and biosafety protocols can help to reduce the chances of infection dissemination. In order to mitigate the risks associated with emerging pathogens, there is a greater need to develop an integrated Event based surveillance system at national level. A study was conducted by Pak One Health Alliance in this preview, recommendations of which are proposed to be piloted in Islamabad Capital Territory, starting with Capacity Building workshops.

What is your solution?

Pak One Health Alliance will organize Event Based Surveillance Training workshops in Islamabad Capital Territory and use EBS Surveillance tools already developed during recently completed project in Punjab Province.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

This Study will be conducted at Federal Level/ ICT Islamabad District .in Pakistan

ICT Islamabad- the capital district has emerged as the tenth largest district of Pakistan (population wise), with the highest growth rate in the country, mainly as a result of in-migration. Current population of Islamabad is 2 million with 0.99 million living in rural areas.

In addition, there are 309 lady health workers’ health houses at community level of Islamabad with a density of only 0.15 per 1,000 population, compared to 0.43 per 1000 population at national level

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Strengthen disease surveillance, early warning predictive systems, and other data systems to detect, slow, or halt future disease outbreaks.

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

This solution will offer early preparedness and readiness to avoid outbreaks in future. For this purpose, POHA conducted a masssive excercise in largest province of Pakistan i.e. Punjab to assess the situation of Event Based Surveillance programs. Based on recommendations gathered from the excercise, training workshops would be conducted in Islamabad Capital Territory i.e. 10th largest district of Pakistan. For this purpose, relevant staff from Ministry of health, hospitals, and relevant departments would be trained based on international best practices to upscale their technical capacity and improve event based surveillance data.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Islamabad, Pakistan

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

This solution is based on the outcome of previous project addressing same challenge i.e. Event based surveillance to avoid outbreaks in country.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Dr. S. M. Mursalin, Cheif Executive Officer POHA