A Spatial Conceptual Data Model For Public Health In Nigeria

Abstract

Sub Saharan Africa region is synonymous with various health problems ranging from diseases (such as malaria, measles, and tuberculosis), environmental to other public health related problems. In the region, most of the diseases and health related problems are as a result of environmental problems.

Despite all the health problems, sub Saharan Africa most especially Nigeria lacks national health database. In the country, there is inadequate health care delivery system and patchy epidemiological data couple with the fact that there is no reliable method of epidemiological data collections.

In order to solve these problems, this paper proposed a well organised conceptual public health data model for Nigeria, which addresses all the health problems and their causes. The proposed data model could be used to develop any health related system such as national public health database system, and disease surveillance system, which we intend to develop from this, proposed data model.  The model is motivated by an interoperable disease surveillance and prediction system in Nigeria.

We started with review of the existing health data models which include disease surveillance data models developed for Nigeria and Kenya which we modified and extended to develop a spatial conceptual public health data model in Nigeria. The proposed data model contributed to the existing health data models with its environmental health feature, which makes the model to be unique from other existing health data models.

The model is developed using unified modelling language. We intend to make the model and health related systems that would be developed from the proposed data model open so as to allow other researchers most especially from sub Saharan Africa region and those that are interested in the region to contribute to the maintenance of the public health data model.

The systems that would be developed from the proposed data model would make use of web feature services technology and allow interoperability with other health related systems. The proposed system would be able to capture, store, query, retrieve, and generate reports on any disease and the environmental problems that caused such health related problems among other things.