Lesotho leads Africa in health innovation: pilots Afro Influenza (AFFLU) Surveillance Platform

 

Lesotho has become the first nation in the WHO African Region to pilot the Afro Influenza (AFFLU) surveillance platform, a cutting-edge initiative aimed at boosting the country’s health surveillance system. This platform, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the African region as an adaptation of the Eastern Mediterranean (EMFLU) Influenza surveillance version, is designed to enhance the collection, management, and analysis of both aggregate and case-based data on influenza and other respiratory viruses (ORVs).

The AFFLU platform represents a significant leap forward in the realm of health data management. It facilitates the sharing of epidemiological and virological data, streamlines data management processes, and improves data quality across all levels of the health system.

 Muza Tendai, Information Systems Specialist from the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), emphasized the transformative potential of this platform. “This surveillance platform will strengthen the country’s respiratory disease surveillance and enable integration capabilities with other surveillance systems and datasets. It will provide real-time and advanced data analytics capabilities, customized to regional and country-specific contexts,” Tendai stated.

To ensure the successful implementation of the AFFLU platform, WHO has trained 18 end-users in Lesotho. These individuals are tasked with collecting and managing real-time data at four selected surveillance sites within and beyond the Maseru district. This training is crucial for the effective operation of the platform and the accurate collection of data.

Dr. Lieketseng Petcane, representing the Director General of Health Services at the Lesotho Ministry of Health, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative. “It is exciting that we are the first pilot country of this surveillance platform in our region. COVID-19 taught us many lessons, and diagnostics were a major challenge during that time. It revealed the gaps and areas that we needed to address. This platform will strengthen our surveillance and response. This will boost our human resource capabilities as well,” Dr. Petcane remarked.

The AFFLU platform is expected to have a profound impact on Lesotho’s health surveillance system. Malefane Thamae, Maseru District Surveillance Officer, highlighted the benefits of this development. “This will help us in the early detection of an outbreak, hence improved Rapid Response to affected areas. It will provide our office with rapid access to countermeasures, such as the provision of appropriate vaccines,” Thamae explained.

Lesotho’s pioneering efforts in piloting the AFFLU surveillance platform underscore the country’s commitment to advancing its health infrastructure. By leveraging this innovative technology, Lesotho is poised to enhance its capacity to respond to respiratory diseases, ultimately improving public health outcomes for its citizens.

As the pilot program progresses, the insights gained from Lesotho’s experience will be invaluable for other African nations looking to adopt similar surveillance tools. 

The AFFLU platform not only represents a significant technological advancement but also a promising development for improved health surveillance and response across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Lesotho.