Health Officials Receive Training In Go. Data
By: , March 22, 2020The Key Point:
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second right), points to the chart showing the chains of transmission for coronavirus (COVID-19) in Jamaica, at a press conference held at Jamaica House on March 18. Others (from left) are Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Colette Roberts Risden; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan; and National Epidemiologist, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Karen Webster-Kerr.The Facts
- National Epidemiologist in the Ministry, Dr Karen Webster-Kerr told JIS News that the tool has been customised to track cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
- She said it includes functionality for case investigation, contact follow up and the visualisation of chains of transmission.
The Full Story
Ministry of Health and Wellness officials on Wednesday (March 18), received training on how to use Go.Data, an outbreak investigation tool that collects field data during a public health emergency.
National Epidemiologist in the Ministry, Dr Karen Webster-Kerr told JIS News that the tool has been customised to track cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
She said it includes functionality for case investigation, contact follow up and the visualisation of chains of transmission.
The training, which was hosted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, included other member states from the Caribbean.
Dr. Webster- Kerr said that the Ministry has asked PAHO to implement the tool in Jamaica as “it would automate many of the work that is being done manually” to track the spread of COVID-19.
“Jamaica would be owners of the data, and we will customise it a little bit more to ensure that [the] information gives the best picture we can for Jamaica and understood by Jamaicans,” she stated.
Go.Data is the initiative of a group of public health partners and is managed by the Global Outbreak and Response Network coordinated by the World Health Organization.