Education initiative: The Graph Courses
Skilled epidemiologists are the backbone of effective outbreak response. But a variety of bottlenecks obstruct the pipelines that should produce adequately trained health data analysts in LMICs. To fill this gap, the GRAPH network is developing an open-enrollment training program (thegraphcourses.org) that combines the best modern tools and practices for digital pedagogy into a scalable model for affordably training public health data analysts in LMICs.
Our solution has a number of important features that, combined, make it unique among existing platforms. These include:
- Multi-modal content delivery: engaging videos and text tutorials that are accessible on desktop and mobile devices, and will be translated to multiple languages.
- Interactive code tutorials with immediate, automated feedback on learner solutions.
- User progress tracking, with placement tests, rigorous assessments, and accredited certificates.
- Community support: discussion groups, lesson comments, and direct learner-to-learner messaging.
- Authentic, project-based assignments that mirror the tasks epidemiologists encounter in the field.
- Connection to our data warehousing and analysis platform, EpiGraphHub, which enables access to a rich portfolio of community-curated health datasets, as well as graphic-user- interface tools for common epidemiological analyses.
Open-source data integration platform: EpiGraphHub
Observed bottlenecks in the response to COVID-19 and previous global health threats also motivated us to create an open-source epidemiological data platform, EpiGraphHub. This tool was designed to bridge key gaps in a fragmented global health data landscape by continuously aggregating, cleaning, and harmonizing data to produce actionable analytical reports (static and interactive) to health authorities in a timely manner.
The platform will guarantee access to up-to-date, openly available health datasets and facilitate access to local health management information systems such as DHIS2 and REDCap.
Additionally, this platform will be fully integrated into the GRAPH Network Training Program so that health professionals will learn to perform global-scale data analysis in their familiar R and Python environments without having to worry about how to find quality health data. As an open- source platform, any country will be able to deploy the EpiGraphHub on their local infrastructure and contribute to its development, facilitating closer collaborations between countries as well as technical agencies in surveillance and outbreak analyses.
Sexual and reproductive health project: strengthening the monitoring and measurement of pregnancy termination
The network is working at the local and national level in six sub-Saharan African countries to develop a multidimensional indicator that quantifies both abortion rates and the burden of unsafe abortion practices. The developed indicator will be used to communicate a more comprehensive picture of the effects of unsafe abortion on health and well-being on a global scale, turning data into actionable information ready for decision-makers.
For more information, please write to : isotta.triulzi(at)santannapisa.it