The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has deployed an electronic data-gathering tool called Surveillance Outbreak Response and Management and Analysis system (SORMAS) to 22 states across the country for COVID-19 case finding since the beginning of the pandemic.
Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, NCDC, who made this known on Wednesday, said the centre is also working with a group of modelers across the country, coordinated by the University College in London to use its data to project where the epidemic is growing and where it could spread to.
The DG said the use of this electronic data gathering is critical in the fight against the pandemic as it enables the centre make informed decisions every day on where to invest resources, implement and accelerate response.
He explained that at the beginning of the outbreak, the centre implemented a tool to manage and monitor all returning travelers into Nigeria, who were followed up for 14 days.
Ihekweazu disclosed that the centre has continued to improve the deployment of the SORMAS tool to analyse information in order to make decisions.
He said in addition to the SORMAS tool, the centre also deployed a data tool for logistics and supply chain management and to manage and monitor rumours in the country.
“So for the first time, we can know where every single mask we have distributed has gone to, and who received and what date. We monitor social media where new rumours are emerging, we then develop a targeted response to that specific rumour to debunk it.
“All this would not have been possible without our data system. Without this tool we would not have been able to make the critical decisions that we are making,” he said.
The DG however noted that the virus is new and the data points are not very clear, but assured the centres will improve on deficiencies to build response.
“We will learn from our mistake, we hope to have an evidence-based scientific approach to the response to guide our actions now and in the future,” he said.
