Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) emerged as a response to the need for operational solutions during outbreaks, initially taking shape during the 2018-2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). IOA is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and multi-actor approach, which focuses on developing locally based solutions to public health challenges.
A workshop took place in Dakar Senegal at the end of November. The aims were twofold:
to share country experiences in informing efficient outbreak response mechanism through holistic analytics (such as IOA), and
to prepare for the handover of IOA in WHO leadership from WHO headquarters to WHO African regional office.
Eleven countries were invited to participate, 10 of which were able to attend. Partners such as Africa CDC, IFRC, UNICEF, and Epicentre were also present as well as WHO teams from headquarters and the Regional office for Africa.
Countries with previous experience of IOA shared their experiences with the group, while countries without prior IOA experience shared their existing outbreak response mechanisms and reflected on how they may be able to introduce IOA in their response.
Furthermore, the IOA core team representative explained the IOA approach and process as described in the IOA Toolkit which was published in May 2025.
EPI-Win Webinar: Introducing Integrated Outbreak Analytics (3 September 2025)
Read the Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) Toolkit in English
Read the Integrated Outbreak Analytics (IOA) Toolkit in French