The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) has launched a new AFRO Geodatabase (AFRO GDB), marking a major step toward improving how countries collect, manage, and use geospatial information. Announced on GIS Day, the initiative supports governments in advancing data-driven health decisions through a centralized, trusted platform.
A Unified Geospatial Platform
The AFRO Geodatabase serves as a secure repository for harmonized spatial data, including administrative boundaries, health facility locations, and population figures. By bringing these datasets together, the platform enables countries to work from a single verified source. This integration is essential for generating accurate health indicators and ensuring that national datasets can be compared and updated consistently.
The system also includes automated quality-control checks. When verified users submit updates—such as revised boundaries or new health facility listings—the platform validates the information against previous entries. Once approved, the updates become part of the official regional dataset, supporting stronger systems for data-driven health decisions across the continent.
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Strengthening National Capacity
To maintain the platform, WHO AFRO is onboarding GIS focal points from ministries of health, national statistical institutions, and WHO country offices. These officers will update basemaps, geographical hierarchies, and facility inventories on a routine basis. This collaborative model ensures that the geospatial information reflects current realities on the ground, improving planning for immunization, emergency response, and disease surveillance.
The AFRO GIS Centre will continue to support countries through technical training, system management, and coordination with global data repositories. By enhancing interoperability with international datasets, the platform will help countries build stronger spatial data ecosystems.
Supporting Public Health Priorities
The AFRO GDB is particularly important for programs such as polio eradication, where timely and accurate geospatial data directly affects operational planning. The ability to combine field-level data with national information enables clearer situational awareness, faster decision-making, and targeted interventions.
Kebba Touray, head of the AFRO GIS Centre, emphasized that reliable geospatial data is essential for effective public health management. The newly launched geodatabase, he said, provides a trusted reference point for governments, partners, and emergency responders working toward data-driven health decisions.
Looking Ahead
With this initiative, WHO Africa is reinforcing its long-term commitment to data quality, transparency, and improved health outcomes. By advancing geospatial governance, the AFRO Geodatabase is expected to significantly accelerate digital transformation in health systems across the region.
Source: WHO Africa
