Enhancing Capability of Surveillance Actors in Using Evidence-Informed Decision Making on Disease Response in Nigeria.

One objective of disease surveillance and response is to improve the flow of information required to monitor the spread of infectious diseases, and to evaluate the effectiveness of control and preventive measures. This study assessed surveillance actors' knowledge and capacity to access and utilize relevant evidence from COVID-19 response data. The study was carried out in Anambra State, Nigeria. We adopted a pre-test and post-test design for the study. The population included all the surveillance actors in Anambra state, and the sample was 42 surveillance officers drawn via purposive sampling. Demographic data and a pre-test questionnaire were administered before a one-day intensive training workshop. After the training, a post-test questionnaire was administered. Data were collected using a Likert scale that measuring the adequacy of the outcomes of the target participants. The scale ranged from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating grossly inadequate outcomes and 5 indicating very adequate outcome. Data were analyzed using means and standard deviations. The study results revealed an increase in the mean score of knowledge and capacity amongst the respondents. The findings of this study suggest that competence relevant to data analysis and translating data into evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) can be enhanced through training workshops. This study recommends a conscious effort to institutionalize training, capacity building, and mentoring for knowledge sharing and sustainability of EIDM.