Emergency health mapping campaign
This campaign supports collaboration between local OpenStreetMap chapters and health authorities to improve health facility data accuracy. By utilizing open data and statistical methods, communities can empower Ministries of Health, address SDG indicators, and enhance emergency response.
The healthsites.io Digital Public Good has been working with OpenStreetmap Senegal since 2017. We have established data collaborative focused on health facility data that lives in OpenStreetMap.
The collaborative is a semi-formal network that identifies and shares geospatial data on health to OpenStreetMap. It works to identify gaps and barriers to sharing, defines methodologies and data models for sharing and supports stakeholders with sharing and the use of data especially for decision-making. Crucially, the collaborative saves validated data to OpenStreetMap which means that successive projects are able to benefit from the work even when programs end.
Accurate health data plays a vital role in effective healthcare planning, resource allocation, and emergency response. However, existing data sources often suffer from inaccuracies and limited sharing, hindering the potential for informed decision-making and comprehensive health interventions. In response, we have developed an Emergency Health data validation method. The method involves local stakeholders and the healthsites.io open data platform as a means to enhance data quality and accessibility.
The Global Fund's COVID-19 response mechanism underscores the significance of accurate health facility data. This mechanism relies on a robust Health Facility Registry to guide resource allocation, emergency response strategies, and pandemic management. The imperative to understand health capacity for effective emergency responses highlights the critical need for accessible, reliable health facility data.
Acknowledging the significance of precise health data, a gap persists in comprehending citizen-MoH collaboration for data enhancement. The campaign bridges the gap by concretely establishing cooperation between OpenStreetMap Senegal and the Direction of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS), alongside the Health Emergency Operations Center (COUS). Recognizing citizens as valuable stakeholders, the approach integrates their local insights via OpenStreetMap's collaborative mapping. By involving Ministry of Health entities, the method endorses the legitimacy of citizen-contributed data and streamlines its integration into official health systems. This merger enhances data accuracy and amplifies its accessibility, rendering it a resourceful foundation for health interventions and emergency responses. Such collaboration not only empowers communities by valuing their input but also cultivates a sustained framework for reliable health data, capable of benefiting successive endeavors. Ultimately, this operationalized collaboration bridges the citizen-Ministry of Health gap, supporting accurate health data and informed decision-making.
Questions:
- How can OpenStreetMap data and open statistical methods empower communities to collaborate with MoH and address SDG 3.8.1 indicators?
- What is the business case for sharing baseline health facility data, and how does it impact health outcomes and emergency response?
The campaign employs a multidisciplinary approach including:
Human-centered design workshops ensure that the collaboration between communities and health authorities is rooted in the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders. This approach encourages active participation, transparency, and inclusivity in the collaborative process.
A thorough data audit is undertaken to evaluate the accuracy and comprehensiveness of health facility data. This stage highlights prevailing gaps and obstacles that require resolution for productive collaboration. Employing an R building block of reusable code streamlines the process of enhancing health facility location data by juxtaposing and amalgamating information from diverse sources. By comparing datasets, this approach harmonizes naming conventions across Communities of Users and Stakeholders (COUS), Department of Public Health and Statistics (DPRS), and OpenStreetMap, fostering data consistency and collaborative efficiency.
We focus on three areas to develop local skills for primary data collection, data management, data visualization and data analysis:
OpenStreetMap (OSM) mapping: Introduction to the process by which new features are added, and existing features are updated in the OpenStreetMap crowd sourced online database. We will also teach them about best practices when working in this database so as to ensure that their work is accepted and of a high quality.
General QGIS: Training on how to work with geospatial data in the free, open source QGIS (https://qgis.org) desktop GIS application. Participants will learn how to extract the data they have collected in OSM to their local machines and then perform analysis on this data to obtain insights into the state of health facility data. Key workflows for generating custom maps and reports based on their analysis results.
Information products: Follow on from the QGIS training to focus on how to develop information projects, starting from question formulation, data preparation through to analysis and production of reports.
Rigorous field validation is carried out to verify the accuracy of health facility data on the ground. This involves on-site assessments, interviews, and data cross-referencing to ensure the reliability of the information.
The validated health facility data is shared to the OpenStreetMap platform, a widely used open mapping tool. This enables real-time access to accurate data by various stakeholders and supports evidence-based decision-making.
The approach underscores the importance of open development and open science principles in fostering effective collaborations. It emphasizes the following key messages:
Open data and statistical methods empower communities to actively collaborate with health authorities, leveraging their local knowledge to improve health outcomes and address SDG 3.8.1 indicators. This collaborative approach empowers local communities to contribute their knowledge, leading to more accurate and comprehensive health facility data. This not only strengthens the dataset but also involves local stakeholders in the decision-making process, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to improving health outcomes.
Sharing baseline health facility data creates a solid foundation for informed decision-making, resource allocation, and emergency responses. The approach establishes tangible benefits of data sharing in enhancing health interventions.
The OpenStreetMap based approach supports a collaborative effort, fostering transparency, trust, and ongoing engagement between communities and health authorities.
The healthsites.io Emergency Health mapping campaign illuminates the potential of collaborative mapping and open data initiatives in bridging the gap between communities and Ministries of Health. The symbiotic relationship between a local OpenStreetMap chapter and health authorities can lead to improved health data accuracy, empowered communities, and enhanced health outcomes. By fostering open development and open science principles, this research contributes to the advancement of SDGs, resilient healthcare systems, and equitable health coverage.
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