Integrated digital system for community engagement and community-based surveillance during the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone

Lessons for future health emergencies

Bibliographic Data

ID21880139
AuthorsMohamed F Jalloh (0000-0002-7206-8042, Karolinska Institutet, corresponding author), Paul Sengeh (Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre), Nyuma James (Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre), Saiku Bah (Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre), Mohammad B Jalloh (Karolinska Institutet, corresponding author), Katharine Owen (GOAL, Freetown, Sierra Leone), Samuel Abu Pratt (FOCUS 1000, Freetown, Sierra Leone), Katharine R Owen (0000-0003-3982-1407, Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre), Samuel Pratt (0009-0006-3129-7953, Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre), Allan Oniba (University of Sierra Leone), Musa Sangarie (Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre), Samuel Sesay (University of Sierra Leone), Jamie Bedson (0000-0003-4419-9536, Restless Development Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone)
Year2020
Volume5
Issue12
Pagese003936
Publication date2020-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003936
PMID33355270
OpenAlexW3115696385
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited12

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

Agile software development · Community engagement · Disease surveillance · Environmental health · Political science · Public engagement · Public health · Public relations · Sierra leone · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Computer Science · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Disaster Management and Resilience · Medicine · Nursing · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research