In collaboration with Mozambique’s ministry of health (MoH), Expanded Programme on Immunization, and National Agency for Spatial Development, GRID3 and ICAP convened a map template transfer workshop in Maputo between 18 and 20 April 2023. 

In Nigeria, the need to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in areas with low vaccine uptake was a key priority for the country’s government. Learn how GRID3 geospatial data supported these vaccination efforts.

Between November 2022 and January 2023, GRID3’s self-paced online course provided learners from across the world the opportunity to learn about geographic information system (GIS) applications.

One of GRID3’s programmatic goals is to strengthen countries’ capacities to use geospatial data and technologies for development interventions. GRID3 delivered an extensive training of trainers (ToT) programme in Zambia which was attended by urban planners. As a result of these trainings, planning councils look to use geospatial solutions to inform integrated development plans (IDPs).

The GRID3 Mapping for Health project has reached a major milestone in its 19-month effort to support vaccination interventions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI), under Zambia’s Ministry of Health, and GRID3 have been organising and facilitating district-level microplanning workshops. The first round of workshops were held in all of Zambia’s 10 provinces and over 2,700 health officials were trained on how to incorporate GRID3 maps into their COVID-19 vaccination microplans. 

Demand for accurate spatial data across sub-Saharan Africa is rising as governments formulate vaccination campaigns. In recent months, Zambia and Nigeria have requested support from GRID3 in creating and rolling out maps and spatial data technologies to aid these interventions.

From 22-25 November, stakeholders in DRC participated in “Towards Digital Microplanning”, a four-day forum organised by the GRID3 Mapping for Health project, promoting innovative geospatial data and gender equity solutions that will support vaccination interventions in the country.

For microplanning ahead of the 2021 indoor residual spraying campaign led by Zambia’s National Malaria Elimination Programme, GRID3 and Akros developed improved maps featuring field-mapped health facility catchment boundaries and updated residential structure counts using GRID3 settlement extents. 

Enumeration for South Sudan’s Population Estimation Survey (PES) has been completed, marking the end of the single largest data collection effort in the country’s history.

As DRC has one of the highest rates of maternal, child, and infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, one aspect of the GRID3 M4H project focuses on the integration of gender and social inclusion (GESI) into vaccination programmes. This work achieved a milestone in May with the organisation of a roundtable focused on the intersection of gender and vaccination.

On 22 November 2020, Tropical Cyclone Gati made landfall on the Puntland State of Somalia’s coast. Drawing on new skills and techniques acquired during a series of GRID3 capacity strengthening sessions, the Puntland Statistics Department used geospatial data to effectively coordinate the state’s disaster response. 

On 21 May, field data collection began for South Sudan’s National Population Estimation Survey (PES), an important milestone in the country’s effort to collect baseline demographic and socioeconomic data.

Data Science Nigeria (DSN) and GRID3 Nigeria share a common goal: increasing the number of geospatial data experts across the country to support Nigeria’s national development agenda. For the second year in a row, GRID3 was invited to attend DSN’s 2020 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for a series of workshops focused on geospatial data analysis, tools and applications.

GRID3’s Trainer Support Programme approach facilitates in-country partners’ efforts to educate and train future generations of data experts.

To ensure long term integration and sustainability of geospatial analytics in the country, the Government of Nigeria, under its National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), is taking over the management, hosting, and maintenance of the GRID3 Nigeria data and portal. 

Nathaniel O. Solomon is a Nigerian artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiast and one of the two winners of the 2019 GRID3 Data Challenge from the Data Science Nigeria AI Bootcamp. This article features his journey and work to support Nigerian start-ups through a target location analyser.

‘Yosola Adekanmbi Oluwaseun is a Nigerian artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiast and one of the two winners of the 2019 GRID3 Data Challenge from the Data Science Nigeria AI Bootcamp. Read about ‘Yosola’s journey and GIS concept note to reduce the impact of solid waste management for communities in Nigeria.

‘Yosola Adekanmbi Oluwaseun and Nathaniel O. Solomon are two Nigerian artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiasts and the two winners of the 2019 GRID3 Data Challenge from the Data Science Nigeria AI Bootcamp. Discover their journey from AI to Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The GRID3 Training Team has been working full speed to develop an online Learning Management System (LMS) that will make it possible to train hundreds of data experts during a time in which COVID-19 makes in-person interaction impossible. Now the platform is ready and being implemented in various of the GRID3 countries.

The quick and effective reaction of the Government of Nigeria is underpinned by a National COVID-19 Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Response Plan. GRID3 Nigeria has been working closely with the Presidential Task Force to swiftly support the government’s efforts and integrate geospatial data solutions into their plans.

As the outbreak of the new coronavirus begins to extend into sub-Saharan Africa, GRID3 is marshalling its data resources and capacities to help partner governments plan rapid, effective responses.

GRID3 has recently launched a webinar series in which GRID3 experts break down technical details about our work in a user-friendly and easily understandable manner.

Between November and December 2019, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and National Population Commission (NPopC) became the first national statistical and population agencies to be trained on the gridded population survey sampling methodology for household survey design and implementation.