EPHI Launches New Website for COVID-19
Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) has launched a new website for monitoring progression of the COVID-19 outbreak to provide updates and for tracking response activities. The website is developed by EPHI’s National Data Management Center for health (NDMC). As a mandated and responsible institute on public health emergency management, the EPHI has been leading the COVID-19 surveillance, detection, preparedness and response activities undertaken to avert the spread of the virus. The staff of the NDMC has developed multi-purpose web platform form the general public to access genuine, reliable and up to date information regarding COVID-19.
Dr. Alemnesh said that this new platform is prepared as a response to fight against COVID-19. She added that information is the greatest tool we have at hand specially for country like Ethiopia which doesn’t have strong health system to combat the pandemic. “If we address people with the right credible source of information platform at the right time, we can contribute a lot in the fight against the virus,” she said.
The NDMC experts have developed the website to support the EPHI, Federal Ministry of Health and COVID-19 response. “We developed the website in a very short period of time with outstanding quality so as users can access it for up to date information of local and global information of COVID-19. Anyone who has access to internet connection can find information of geo- spatial, visualization at regional, national and global level,” said Latera Tesfaye- a Data Analyst at NDMC and one of the website developers.
“The system has Para amount importance for Ethiopia because we incorporated all available information, educational materials, guide lines and daily report on COVID-19 cases, research and publications and response at local, national and global level. Hence, users can easily have access to these materials,” said Gelan Abdurheman- a Senior Database Specialist who has developed the database of this website. The website can be accesses through covid.ephi.gov.et.