A five-day workshop is taking place in Yaounde with experts from the University of California.

Information indicates that the recent detection HINI virus in Cameroon, the first documented record in Africa, illustrates the inadequate level of influenza surveillance on the continent. In a bid to address the need for enhanced surveillance, training in prediction and education on diseases, the Center for Tropical Research, University of California, Los Angeles in collaboration with the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC), yesterday August 13, began a five-day workshop to provide integrative training in field methods, Geographical Information System (GIS) and predictive spatial modelling to some 20 Cameroonians, researchers and PH.D students.
Dr Kevin Njabo from the University of California, Los Angeles said the purpose of the workshop is not only to exchange ideas, best practices but most importantly to train participants on how ICT tools, particularly Geographical Information System (GIS), could be used in the predictive modelling of disease in the country. According to him, the workshop focuses on GIS which is an information system that presents a pictorial representation of the spread of diseases in the country through a map. From the map, one can easily know the prevalence rate of diseases in different regions and what measures can be taken to prevent its spread to other areas.
The Director General of ANTIC, Dr Ebot Ebot Enaw said the workshop falls in line with ANTIC’s mission of promoting ICT development in Cameroon. Stating that ICT is an enabler for the development of the health sector, Dr Ebot Ebot said understanding the relationship between location and health would greatly assist in controlling and preventing the spread of diseases. ANTIC boss said for GIS tools to become a future mainstream technology in the health sector, there is need to raise awareness on it through workshops like this ongoing in Yaounde.