Cross River State says it has trained 125 Surveillance Focal Persons in the use of the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), a cutting-edge platform designed to track and manage public health emergencies in real time.
Cross River says the move seeks to improve the frontline disease surveillance system. The week-long training, conducted in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), marks a significant push towards digital transformation in the state’s health sector, the state government says.
To reinforce the hands-on training, the NCDC donated 101 digital surveillance kits comprising Android tablets, power banks, protective pouches, and screen guards. These tools, according to state health officials, will enhance data collection and transmission, improve disease tracking accuracy, and foster timely response across health facilities.
The initiative saw health workers drawn from primary, secondary, and tertiary health facilities across Cross River come together in two batches to undergo intensive capacity building in epidemic preparedness and response.
To reinforce the hands-on training, the NCDC donated 101 digital surveillance kits comprising Android tablets, power banks, protective pouches, and screen guards. These tools, according to state health officials, will enhance data collection and transmission, improve disease tracking accuracy, and foster timely response across health facilities.
Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, Cross River State Commissioner for Health, says the devices must be treated as vital work equipment — not mere handouts. Represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Ayuk says: “These tools are not gifts but work equipment that must be maintained and used judiciously for the good of our health system.”
Dr. Inyang Ekpenyong, State Epidemiologist and Manager of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), urges the trained officers to remain vigilant and professional, stressing that accountability will be strictly enforced.
“It will no longer be business as usual,” Dr. Ekpenyong warns. “There are strict measures in place to ensure these devices are well used and protected.”
In a bid to institutionalise responsibility, each participant signed an undertaking to ensure proper usage and safekeeping of the devices — a move that underscores the government’s commitment to sustaining public health investments.
The state says its decision to embrace SORMAS technology is in line with Nigeria’s broader national public health strategy and the global push for real-time epidemic intelligence, especially in an era where digital tools are critical to detecting and controlling disease outbreaks.
Home
