The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) is a center within the Earth Institute at Columbia University. CIESIN works at the intersection of the social, natural, and information sciences, and specializes in on-line data and information management, spatial data integration and training, and interdisciplinary research related to human interactions in the environment.

Geospatial data holds great potential to improve health, food security, and educational opportunities in developing countries.

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Interactive Data Hubs Help Support Countries’ COVID-19 Responses

COVID-19 data hub for Namibia. Country-specific hubs for Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zambia have data on hospitals and isolation centers, population distribution in COVID-19 epicenters, and risk factors associated with COVID-19.

Publicly accessible, user-friendly data hubs to support COVID-19 response efforts in several African countries have been developed in close partnership with national government agencies and other stakeholders. Vital components in the leveraging of these countries’ commitment and capabilities in containing the pandemic, the hubs consolidate relevant geospatial data from a variety of sources. Country-specific hubs for Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zambia are currently available and include data on hospitals and isolation centers, population distribution in COVID-19 epicenters, and risk factors associated with COVID-19. The hubs also provide data visualization tools and dashboards, Web applications and interactive maps, and access to data and documentation, developed collaboratively with agencies and stakeholders. Technological support from private sector organizations Esri and Fraym was coordinated by CIESIN’s Geo-Referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) program. Olena Borkovska, geographic information specialist, has been coordinating technical assistance for the hub for Zambia. Other staff supporting in-country partners and stakeholders are project coordinator Justine Dowden (Namibia), senior research associate Emilie Schnarr (Nigeria), and senior research staff assistant Annie Werner (Sierra Leone).