From the 19th to the 20th of September 2024, the Vaccine Coverage Mapping Project (VCMP), led by Dr. Kenneth Enwerem and assisted by Victoria Etuk, held a two-days intensive bootcamp with partner developers from UMB-201 Samuel Indyer and Gbenga Odeyemi to modify and enhance the capacity and efficiency of the VCMP dashboard for tracking COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Nigeria. This included developing real-time dashboard for monitoring vaccine coverage, with data visualization tools and reviewing data sources like SORMAS. Discussions during the bootcamp also involved the need for integrating routine immunization coverage for a more holistic approach.
Dr. Enwerem’s pilot project aims to determine the impact of vaccination coverage on geographical disease prevalence, via the use of live dashboards, as well as engaging and developing the capacity of relevant Nigerian government stakeholders to harness these dashboards for disease surveillance. The bootcamp was crucial for refining the dashboard in order to make it more user-friendly and accessible to stakeholders.
The pilot project plans to expand its scope beyond COVID-19- integrating broader disease surveillance systems and strengthening collaborations with policymakers, while creating greater access to data. This project exemplifies how data-driven insights can pave the way for better pandemic response strategies.
