The Need
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic required the establishment of new systems and routines that could help identify and manage disease spread
Impetus helped build and operationalize a two-part system that could function to:
- Enhance disease surveillance capacity;
- Produce actionable insights to inform public health response
The Mechanisms
Underpinning the identification and management system were structured and robust data reporting mechanisms
Data Collection
Nominated focal persons for data entry in District Health Offices and other local health facilities
Uniform Reporting
Developed and disseminated standardized reporting templates for use in reporting facilities
Caseload Tracking
Reappropriated existing online disease surveillance systems to help track COVID-19 cases and inform response
Routine Formation
Established routines for data reporting whereby data was entered at fixed intervals
Data Verification
Conducted random checks on province-wide data for accuracy, timeliness and completeness
Result: A centralized and digitized daily reporting system was established which provided the Health Department with complete, up-to-date and detailed knowledge of virus spread in each district
The Outcome
Once these mechanisms were in place, Impetus worked to analyze the collected data to help inform evidence-based policy-level decisions in real time
Pre-emptively declaring provincial
‘State of Emergency’
Consistent, timely, and accurate
reporting to the public
SOP dissemination for the safe
reopening of the economy
Delegating authority to local governing bodies to address citizen needs
Onboarding the private sector to enhance healthcare capacity
