The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to bolster emergency responses at the subnational level. In Nigeria, the work of a 7128-strong network of community health agents on polio and other diseases is now being leveraged. The community workers use Auto-Visual AFP Detection and Reporting – also known as AVADAR – a phone-based application with video clips in several local languages to educate families and help in the timely detection of polio.
WHO is supporting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to formalize collaboration with the community health workers on COVID-19 detection in states already affected by the virus. In northeast Nigeria the community health agents work in 36 localities.