Ogun boosts epidemic preparedness as group donates surveillance devices

Ogun State's ability to detect and respond to disease outbreaks has been enhanced through the donation of mobile surveillance devices by the Artificial Intelligence Application for One Health, AIA4OneHealth, project. On Tuesday, these devices were presented to support the Integrated Disease Surveillance, IDS-Master system in partnership with the Ogun State Ministry of Health.

Dr. Oluyomi Bamiselu, the Director of Public Health, emphasized that the equipment would improve early detection and tracking of infectious diseases at the grassroots level. The mobile phones were handed out to Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, DSNOs, situated in all 20 local government areas of the state to facilitate real-time reporting of health threats.

Professor Adesina Sodiya, the Principal Investigator of AIA4OneHealth, explained that the project aimed to incorporate artificial intelligence and digital technology into epidemic preparedness. Sodiya stressed the necessity for long-term funding and institutional support to maintain and expand the platform's infrastructure. The project plans to implement a monthly reward system for the best-performing local governments to incentivize accurate and timely reporting.

Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government was honored as the top-performing LGA for submitting the most accurate reports. This donation is anticipated to strengthen community-level surveillance and ensure a prompt, data-driven response to public health emergencies in Ogun State.