Using digital technologies in combating disaster preparedness response to mitigate pandemics
By Aaron Aliu June 8, 2020
PHOTO SOURCE BY IFRC
As old as there are technological challenges. The implementation of digital preparedness solutions tools in fragile settings is inevitable in an effective response to both domestic and global pandemics So basically, interventions in a fragility/pandemic context of global health figures already demonstrated that technology is a virtual component at the moment given the transmission rate of Corona Virus, characterizing those health systems in fragile contexts is a little bit deeper specifically given a couple of examples of implementing of e-health, specifically at low cost.
Developed fundamental research proposal while working at PATH, identified solutions where the case study ended up with multiple iterations on information systems support for improved health service preparedness and mitigation, so to start as an ambitious young entrepreneur and tech advocate for education and health in remote conflict and pandemic settings, I have always taken immense interest in driving change within the academia and health sector.
Over the past months here at the American Red Cross honored to serve humanity at the Global Disaster Praedaness Center, I am remotely engaged in supporting and coordinating plus leading the implementation and dissemination of disaster preparedness COVID-19 digital content over technologies designed. The digital application I am scaling is a knowledge management tool for disaster preparedness publishing information over the First Aid Apps to over 108 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies in response to the Corona Virus for preparedness action, which has transformed the way we interact with the world. Increasingly first Aid app information on COVID-19 has received acceptance, as a result, has reached many end-users.
The digital IFRC First Aid Application through in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC) has attracted more numbers of national societies. I have been able to train build capacity, strengthen community interventions to over sixty Red Cross and Red Cresent National Societies across borders remotely over the IFRC First Aid App COVID-19 digital content publication. This is gaining traction in mitigating the current pandemic to protect communities from the risk of further infection. This has allowed the pace at which information reaches the end-users to exceed the scale that human capacity is able to process. Below is a screenshot of the digital App content section for COVID-19, refer to play store to down the First Aid IFRC and select your country on prompt.
As a tech practitioner, I have seen myself being part of a dynamic tech industry in its unpredictability, in developing digital solutions for crisis management in humanitarian and development scenes in my quest to support education accessibility I engaged with WAR Child Holland as technical referent support in dissemination of the digital education (Can't Wait to Learn– Learning Application) program to over 13 plus refugee learning centers training over 100 plus teachers and 1000 plus pupils in digital immersion, while leading support for the consortium in Uganda serving in a role of information systems country supervisor to coordinator technical support to partners agencies which included Fin Church Aid, Save The Children and Norwegian Refugee Council in the refugee camps of West Nile and South West Region, also at Program for Appropriate Technology in Health were I was honing my skills in researched digital information systems, a researched project proposal to inform quality responsive information systems in reporting and monitoring health service to training over 300 health workers on e-health systems and community health case workers enhancing service delivery impact in the districts of Jinja, Kamuli, Kaliro, Mayuge and Iganga districts for the just concluded advocacy for better health USAID funded project as a fellow and later transitioned as Programs Assistant in Information systems support as a temp consultancy helping to building capacity of local communities in digital immersion tools and health workers to support effect health service delivery collectively with civil societies such as Jinja Area Community Federation that I supported directly in the interventions, which forces me to continually learn new things and be creative to stand out from the crowd of solutions. It is my opinion that technology solutions well suit these pandemic traits, frustrating the global community, and reduce the spread as well as mitigate the spread.
Data Science and Machine learning come as a natural option because of its position in the developing world and of the perspectives of further developments due to new technologies that the industry offers, like artificial intelligence-powered information systems in fragile and pandemic settings. See some of the solutions I coordinate in blended learning implemented into digital tools for both First Aid and Hazard app for disaster preparedness with present capacity building training to over 108 Red Cross and Red Crescent under my role with American Red Cross that hosts the Global Disaster preparedness Center in which I serve as tech Atlas Corps fellow with a designated title as ICT's Disaster Predparness Fellow. See link Blended Learning First Aid Mobile Application. Also, Disease content for the Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies for first aid and preparedness. Follow on the Preparedness centers site for more information on how it works. https://www.preparecenter.org/welcomepacketFA
Related Tags: COVID-19, technology
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