Augmented Health promos and surveillance

Globally and in SubSaharan Africa including Uganda, the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled governments to realize that access to accurate health information and technologies is a requirement for communities to actively participate in eradicating the effects of the pandemic and further disease outbreaks. But this is challenging since the most population is under-served and at-risk: can not afford TV subscription but have limited access to the radio and print, which also limits their exposure to reliable and health rich information. 

We are proposing to integrate augmented digital health promos and an epiReporter Application in order to strengthen disease surveillance, early warning predictive systems, and other data systems to detect, slow, or halt future disease outbreaks, in addition to providing accurate and reliable health information and inspire individuals to protect themselves and their communities.

Globally and in SubSaharan Africa including Uganda, the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled governments to realize that access to accurate health information and technologies is a requirement for communities to actively participate in eradicating the effects of the pandemic and further disease outbreaks. But this is challengings since the most population is underserved and at-risk: can not afford TV subscription but limited access to the radio and print, which also limits their exposure to reliable and health rich information. This is prevalent in communities of Uganda at large as well as globally.

Nationals have no means for reporting cases within their communities, yet access to mobile technologies and network provision coverage is steadily growing fast. This escalates the disease spread rates to over 80% ( 55,000 infections and 392 deaths linked to COVID-19, as of the 1st week of May 2021). as communities lack access to liberating health information, can report ably and access faster feedback, and never considered vital in the pandemic fight( See: https://www.globaltimes.cn/pag...).

Our innovation is an augmented digital health promo integrated with an epiReporter Application. 

On the frontline, we have a digital health display of Health infographics, creating awareness and increasing access to quality, reliable, and trusted public content as it originates from the Ministry of Health Communications Authorities. Automated with computer vision technologies, the infographics are presented on external displays placed in strategic points in the community where citizens of any kind can access freely at leisure. 

Also, the epiReporter is availed as a mobile app (cross-platform - Windows/ Apple/ Android) using recent open-source and scalable technologies enables  GIS capabilities for location-awareness and tracking purposes, user app forms to relay and report symptomatic cases within their communities, and facilities for follow-up communications. epiReporter services can still be utilised by even simple phones  accessed using a USSD, that relays all reported cases in a centralized cloud-provided Database.

At the backend, epiReporter is used by Health Authorities to analyze and provide feedback to those charged with investigation and follow-up of potential outbreaks. So, we utilize just-near to data analytics to provide content specific to districts: District Health Officials including the task-force leadership have summarised reports and can interact to monitor and observe outbreak / Quality of Care cases specific to their districts and summarised statistics of how these influence surveillance for the entire country.

Our innovation envisions reaching out to the entire nation (communities in Uganda) with infographics presented on external displays placed in strategic points where citizens of any kind can access freely at leisure. 

Also, the epiReporter is availed as a mobile app (cross-platform - Windows/ Apple/ Android) using recent open-source and scalable technologies enables  GIS capabilities for location-awareness and tracking purposes, user app forms to relay and report symptomatic cases within their communities, and facilities for follow-up communications. epiReporter services can still be utilized by citizens with simple phones using a USSD, that relays all reported cases in a centralized cloud-provided Database.

At the backend, epiReporter is used by Health Authorities to analyze and provide feedback to those charged with investigation and follow-up of potential outbreaks. So, we utilize just-near to data analytics to provide content specific to districts: District Health Officials including the task-force leadership have summarised reports and can interact to monitor and observe outbreak / Quality of Care cases specific to their districts and summarised statistics of how these influence surveillance for the entire country.

The grand challenge is that most of the population is under-served and at-risk: can't afford TV but have access to radio and print, which limits their exposure to reliable and health-rich information. This is prevalent in Uganda at large as well as globally. The inability for nationals to actively participate in eradicating pandemics yet access to mobile technologies and network coverage is steadily growing fast. The challenge spans the need to (a) strengthen disease surveillance to detect, slow, or halt future disease outbreaks; and (b) prevent the spread of misinformation and inspire individual citizens to protect themselves and their communities.

The augmented digital health promos and epiReporter approach/innovation have just been completed testing in-house and are awaiting pilot testing in a sample community of interest.

The plan of work for pilot testing is assumed June - during the second national lockdown. This work has already been proposed to the Health Ministry which is awaiting transfer of work from former ministry occupancy to the new minister and team.

We have the assurance of deployment at least with a small community population preferably peri-urban for unique results of usability, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Empowered by our core vision of championing service delivery, IT Innovations, and Research in all levels and forms of computing systems and analytics for community development at the national and international level, the communities remain pivotal to the effectiveness of our innovations. 

Hearing rumors from neighbors about a friend(s) that just died due to COVID19 but did not get the best support prior to their death, is challenging and lowers a health system's trust for a better quality of care. Syndromic surveillance where the community is actively engaged is exemplary of how the community can report such cases, providing real-time data for immediate analysis and feedback to those charged with investigation and follow-up of potential outbreaks. With this in place, the community can receive immediate attention from the health ministry/sector/authority. This immensely contributes to all possible outbreak response efforts in the country just like it could elsewhere. 

Our innovation is double-pronged: The epiReporter Application is both a mobile and web cloud application used to report community surveillance (health facility, and individual case symptoms) data in real-time to the Ministry of Health for immediate feedback and follow-up. The app is used by the community, while the web cloud application is a component with dashboards for analysis, documenting, and follow-up communication. Whereas, the second external digital health promos are public health facility screens used to display infographic health content to the community. We attach automated displaying of ciphered content from the Ministry of Health (Health Authorities). 

Currently, the innovation is at the beta-prototype level. We have tested it with sample users and is ready to be piloted.

In one year from now, we hope that we shall have reached out to over 8 million Ugandans. This figure is estimated but can be leapfrogged with incentives like toll-free, and others as we pilot the intervention.

In a period of five years, we hope to have spanned at least 80% of the country's population then.

Because of the infographic health adverts, automated displaying, we aim at measuring impact in regards to viewers per period (second / minute/ hour/day/ month, etc), and the epiReporter is achieved by focusing on the number of user logs, cases reported, among others. However, ultimately, we want to learn of the no of people within communities actively involved in disease surveillance and reporting, in addition to the # of diseases and outbreaks reported and controlled, #of deaths prevented from disease outbreaks due to timely reporting

Our pilot project will entirely utilize expert and consultant support of 03 full-time, and 03-Part-time staff, a total of 6 project staff. However, for now, the current prototype of intervention is currently handled by 3 core staff (Computer Engineer, Database and Solution developer).

Pivotal to Global Auto Systems LTD's existence is the community-centered and technological value addition in solving their challenges for most of our innovation. 

Now, with staff whose experience with innovative design, development, deployment, and maintenance is built over 8 years across sectors, the firm is well supported by its MakerSpace Hub harboring and mentoring startups towards, solution realization for the community challenge. 

Our experience with community engagement throughout innovation design cycles stems from broad expertise attributed by its highly qualified and professional directors who actively mentor, train and engage in undergraduate, graduate research, and business consultancy. These apply proven, innovative and in-depth methods and knowledge of the user community through design thinking and innovation integration theories. A case in kind is that of the [NextgenCoviAI - These leverage existing culture ], we engaged the health sector staff towards its design, development, and deployment and this is still being utilized at the medical regional referral Hospital in Mbarara - Uganda for COVID-19 surveillance, among the so many others.

Straight from the firm's vision of championing service delivery, IT Innovations, and Research in all levels and forms of computing systems, and analytics for community development at the national and international levels, she values diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The firm is fully supported by three levels of control, direct from the board of directors, management committees, and line departments. These leverage existing cultures that are committed to the following values integrating gender and inclusion in every activity/transaction, among others. We believe and live to these values.

1. Professionalism - values competence, ethics, integrity, and professional conduct.
2. Innovative - embraces creativity and new trends in computing.
3. Accountability - accountable to all stakeholders and take full responsibility for their actions
4. Transparency - encourages open access to information, inclusive decision-making, and values feedback.
5. Timeliness - promotes and aspires at all times to offer timely service delivery even at harder times