In the wake of the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the U.S. Global Development Lab of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) developed programs and initiatives to develop more resilient health systems infrastructure in West Africa should another outbreak occur. To that end, USAID released an open call for partners to collaborate possible implementation of activities in West Africa in the short, medium and long term. Through this call, the Lab’s Ebola team intended to select and convene a group of partner organizations with which to collaboratively identify new ideas, research, and approaches that can be tested and used in support of the Agency’s broader Ebola efforts.
CollaborateUp managed the design and implementation of a three-day workshop convened by USAID to cocreate and design solutions to improve Health Information Systems (HIS) interoperability in West Africa and lay a foundation for partnerships with developers, donors, and implementers to effectively detect, prevent, and address future Ebola outbreaks. The workshop brought together 50 stakeholders and resulted in the submission of 12 concept notes to USAID for consideration.