The Artificial Intelligence Application for One Health (AIA4OneforHealth), in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Health, has distributed digital devices to Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) to enhance disease detection, reporting and response across the state.
The initiative also featured the handover of equipment for the Infectious Disease Surveillance (IDS) Master Control and Monitoring Room as part of efforts to strengthen digital disease surveillance and public health monitoring.
The exercise, held on October 20th, 2026, at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), Abeokuta, brought together public health stakeholders to promote the adoption of digital technology in infectious disease surveillance and management.
Speaking at the event, the Project Lead of AIA4OneforHealth, Prof. Adesina Sodiya, urged DSNOs and other stakeholders across the Local Government Areas (LGAs) to intensify their use of the IDS Master platform.
He commended LGAs that had embraced the application but expressed concern that only a few had commenced active reporting.
Prof. Sodiya described the consistent submission of reports by some LGAs as encouraging, adding that the initiative had a reward mechanism to recognise outstanding performers.
He explained that the platform complements existing surveillance systems by allowing members of the public to report suspected disease incidents, including anonymously without necessarily visiting health facilities.
According to him, reports submitted through the platform are automatically forwarded to the appropriate Local Government Disease Surveillance Officer for prompt attention and follow-up.
He also announced plans to embark on sensitisation visits to selected LGAs across Ogun State’s three senatorial districts to increase public awareness, encourage application adoption and promote community participation in disease surveillance.
Also speaking, the Director of Public Health at the Ogun State Ministry of Health, Dr. Yomi Bamiselu, commended Prof. Sodiya for the initiative and assured stakeholders that the distributed devices would be properly maintained and used for their intended purposes.
He noted that the equipment would support efforts to improve disease surveillance and strengthen public health monitoring across the state.
Earlier, the Ogun State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Nuhu Ningi, called for intensified disease surveillance, active research and sustained public sensitisation to improve case detection and prevent undetected disease transmission.
Dr. Ningi warned that a low number of reported cases did not necessarily indicate the absence of disease transmission, explaining that weak surveillance systems could lead to missed cases and continued community spread.
He emphasised the need for targeted research, improved case detection and sustained public awareness, particularly in areas where surveillance performance remained below established indicators.
The WHO coordinator reaffirmed his readiness to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to address surveillance gaps and improve public health outcomes across Ogun State.
A major highlight of the event was the presentation of an award to Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area as the Best Local Government Reporter for October in Ogun State in recognition of its performance in disease reporting through the initiative.
