This case study examines the AVADAR project, a WHO-collaborated initiative to enhance disease surveillance for Polio in Africa. The project’s challenge was to overcome inaccurate and significantly delayed reporting of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases from remote and security-compromised areas, particularly in Nigeria.
The solution was an SMS-based mobile application that utilized the SMSEagle SMS Hardware Gateway for its telecommunications. This allowed health workers in areas with only 2G connectivity to report suspected AFP cases, which were then automatically forwarded as SMS alerts to surveillance officers. This system enabled the detection of over 1,000 AFP cases, contributing to the data required for the WHO to declare Africa polio-free in 2020.
The AVADAR project, developed in 2016 by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Novel-T, is a platform created to increase the sensitivity of national surveillance systems for Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP). It is a crucial component of the Poliovirus Surveillance program, which is essential for detecting the virus early and maintaining Africa’s polio-free status.
These issues resulted in inadequate or incomplete reporting, which reduced the sensitivity of the surveillance network and delayed investigations by Disease Surveillance Officers.
The solution was AVADAR (Audio-Visual AFP Detection and Reporting) — an SMS-based mobile platform created to improve AFP detection and reporting.
The server instantly sent SMS alerts with case details to the appropriate Disease Surveillance Officers, enabling immediate response and follow-up.
The project also bridged the knowledge gap, making local communities more aware and responsive to AFP symptoms.
