Lagos, EpidAlertto Launch Disaster, Disease Outbreak Prevention Technology

The Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Primary Healthcare Board in collaboration with Epid Alert are set to launch a technology that helps in disaster and disease outbreak prevention, warning signs, response and recovery.

The technology, called the AlertClinic is a communication and notification system designed with algorithms around information flow and the persuasion of critical behaviours and choices.

According to the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of EpidAlert, Dr. Lawal Bakare, the pilot phase of the project seeks to tackle Malaria, Lassa fever, Diarrheal Diseases and Polio. “These four diseases stand as major threats to the disease control systems of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Primary Healthcare Board and indeed, the entire people in the state.

“AlertClinic will provide two-way notification support to communities and households, and more importantly, the public health institution in Lagos where the Ministry of Health leads at the peak and the Disease Notification Officers of the Local Government Areas at the grassroots.”

He said the promise of AlertClinic is that the burden of Malaria, Lassa fever and Cholera (and other diarrheal diseases) will drop in target communities, as notification will rise for the ‘notifiable’ diseases, while the public health response time will drop when threats are identified; leaving communities healthier and more resilient.

He said with the launch Thursday, August 31st, AlertClinic will be experienced online and offline in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. “Lagos Mainland was selected for this phase of its roll out as the local government presents the ecosystem for early uptake of technology innovations as well an environment that will benefit from it.

“Lagos Mainland is the home of Nigeria’s technology hub in Yaba, higher institutions with thousands of students like the University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology, a large youth population, communities such as Makoko, Ebute Metta, military cantonments and police barracks, health and research institutions such as Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, the NCDC’s Central Public Health Laboratory and most importantly the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board and Infectious Disease Hospital,” he said.

He said from Lagos Mainland, the project will move into other areas of the state, and subsequently the entire nation.

Source:Thisday