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Health officials get training

Published:Tuesday | March 24, 2020 | 12:20 AM
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr 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 last week. Others (from left) are permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Colette Roberts Risden; permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan; and national epidemiologist in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr Karen Webster-Kerr.
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Minister of Health and Wellness Dr 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 last week. Others (from left) are permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Colette Roberts Risden; permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan; and national epidemiologist in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr Karen Webster-Kerr.

Ministry of Health and Wellness officials last week Wednesday 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 said 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.

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 is 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.