Abstract

GIS as a Common Platform for Laboratory Data in Ethiopia
Track: Aid and Development
Authors: Andrew Schroeder

Direct Relief, in collaboration with EHNRI (Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute), the BD-PEPFAR public-private partnership and the CDC, has developed and installed an enterprise GIS in Ethiopia for the purpose of serving as a common operational platform for public health laboratory data. The problem this effort aims to solve is the persistent disconnection between data sources which are crucial to enabling oversight and understanding at the national level of the efficiency and outcomes of Ethiopia's public health labs. This effort, for the first time, pulls together data on lab locations, equipment, disease surveillance, lab worker training and lab quality assessment, using GIS a common operational platform to view, analyze and report on this comprehensive overview. This presentation will detail the origins, current status and future goals of the Ethiopian lab GIS effort as a way to engage dialogue on the role of GIS in public health laboratory networks.