Kenya Medical Research Institute Recommends VODAN Africa
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has recommended VODAN Africa, this was made known by Dr. Samoel Ashimosi Khamadi, the Director, Centre for Virus Research of the Institute on July 26th, 2021. KEMRI is among the health facilities in Kenya that have partnered with VODAN Africa for the production of machine-actionable observational patient data. Other health facilities are Zambezi Hospital, Beacon of Hope Hospital, and Pumwani Hospital.
Below is the recommendation letter from KEMRI
26th July 2021
Dear Sir/Madam
REF: To whom it may Concern
The Virus Outbreak Data Network - Africa is providing the expertise to strengthen the primary health-care system in Kenya, Africa. This is especially in view of the COVID-19 pandemic which has hit Africa hard. A lack of readily available data has made the crisis invisible on the continent. The pandemic is hitting the people in Africa hard yet there is no readily available data to support this. The situation has created increased awareness of the urgency of need to improve the generation of digital health data. This will help us to respond effectively to the crisis and to other health challenges.
VODAN-Africa provides us with a System for Health Information that complements existing systems. It builds on systems we already have in place.
The strength of the System of Health Information facilitated by VODAN-Africa is that it is fully compliant with our domestic regulatory frameworks and adheres to the highest standards of international personal data protection.
Whilst recognising data sovereignty and ownership of data, the possibility of the studying of the data is advanced by the new concept of data-visiting under conditions of permission granted to the researcher.
I therefore recommend the VODAN-Africa research group without reservation.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Samoel Ashimosi Khamadi
Director, Centre for Virus Research,
Kenya Medical Research Institute.
skhamadi@kemri.org
