Integration of multiple geospatial applications and intelligence for responding to COVID-19 in Ghana

Abstract

Objective: We describe the use of integrated geospatial applications for the provision of access to timely and accurate data on samples, visualisation of Spatio-temporal patterns of cases and effective communication between field sample collectors, testing laboratories, Regional Health directors and Government Decision Makers.Design: This study describes how an integrated geospatial platform based on case location and intelligence was developed and used for effective COVID-19 response during the initial stages of COVID-19 in Ghana.Data Source: Collector for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Survey123Main outcome measure: successful development and deployment of integrated geospatial applications and analytics. Results: The Collector for ArcGIS app was customised to collect COVID-19 positive cases location information. Survey 123 was introduced as a COVID-19 contact tracing application to digitise the case-based forms and provide real-time results from the laboratories to GHS and other stakeholders. The laboratory backend allowed the testing laboratories access to specific information about each patient (sample) collected by the fieldworkers. The regional supervisors’ backend web application provided accessing test results for confidentiality and timely communication of results.Conclusion: Geospatial platforms were successfully established in Ghana to provide timely results to Regional Health Directors and Government decision-makers. This helped to improve the timeliness of response and contact tracing at the district level.

Community-Based Surveillance and Geographic Information System‒Linked Contact Tracing in COVID-19 Case Identification, Ghana, March‒June 2020

“…Surveillance officers visited households of confirmed case-patients and took GIS coordinates. After GIS was used to map confirmed COVID-19 cases upon identification, all persons who lived or worked within a 2-km radius of the home or work location of a case-patient, regardless of symptoms ( 7 ) or confirmed close exposure, were identified and considered possible contacts. Because this activity was conducted during the lockdown period, movement was restricted, making persons in the households easily accessible.…”

“…Mitigation measures were implemented when the first 2 cases were recorded among persons with history of travel to an area experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. These measures were a nationwide lockdown ( 7 , 8 ), contact tracing, widespread testing and reporting, and symptomatic treatment. Modern technology, such as use of smart phones to collect data on contacts and use of geographic information system (GIS) techniques in mapping out cases and contacts, were adopted to help improve existing surveillance methods.…”

“…Modern technology, such as use of smart phones to collect data on contacts and use of geographic information system (GIS) techniques in mapping out cases and contacts, were adopted to help improve existing surveillance methods. Subsequent detection of case-patients who did not have a travel history or apparent epidemiologic links to the initial cases, led to increased surveillance activities for early case detection and effective contact tracing at the community level ( 7 ).…”

Aerial photo database model of Indonesia's national territory in a Geospatial intelligence perspective

“…A specific database was created for households, and point features were employed to represent individual households. A relationship was established as an integral part of the database to generate a decision tree for determining the first case in a household, its contacts, and household indications (Owusu et al, 2021). The creation of a specific database process aids in efficiently organizing and analyzing data related to households.…”