Work on the Kenya One Health Surveillance System started in September 2021 in conjunction with FIND’s (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics) digital access team by adopting a plan to implement customisations as part of a cycle of progressive releases of the platform configuration, based on user feedback and requirements gathered, following each iteration. The first iteration consisted of the installation a pre-install sever (known as a Pandora box) within the chosen Kenyan health infrastructure. The pandora box contains the AoS digital infrastructure and AoS/AMR platform components. The server was installed in-country, and our turnkey solution was then localised to Kenya’s requirements and connected via interoperability to the Central Data Warehouse (CDW). Subsequent iterations were used to further customise the system to meet the needs of Kenya. Feedback was gained through system ‘show and tells’, testing of integration with the CDW, training sessions and the loading of historical data.
For this surveillance system, data from different sectors (human and animal health) were available in the Central Data Warehouse (CDW); to set up the surveillance system, AoS created a link between the CDW and the newly implemented One Health Platform. This link allows for the transfer of data via API into the surveillance system. Once the API link was set-up, work on the historic data load could commence, populating the DHIS2 dashboards with records collected over the previous five years.
The handover period included training sessions on how to use the system, and spanned the full range of ICT disciplines, from infrastructure management to DHIS2 data visualisation and data reconciliation. During this period final modifications to the DHIS2 data model were made along with other minor amends, resulting in the fourth and final release of the integrated Kenya AMR One Health Surveillance System at the end of April 2022.
The project outcome has been an internal launch of the system accompanied by ongoing operations. It’s essential for all digital interventions, such as this, to ensure smooth continuity of service. To this end the Kenya One Health Surveillance System has now entered a sustainability period during which, AoS Health (including software for Health Foundation) are providing ongoing Technical Assistance, and on the job training, as well as implementing system enhancements and problem resolution, alongside the Kenya team who have access to the One Health system. The ongoing work is to guide the Kenya team on a path to self-sufficiency.