In the context of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2015 the Epidemiology Department of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig has developed The Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS) supporting countries to early detect and manage infectious diseases.
The SORMAS Foundation will be officially launched in Braunschweig on the 25th of January this year in the presence of political, scientific, and health experts. The non-profit organisation has been founded to support countries and health organisations in the implementation of SORMAS, as well as to maintain the high-quality standards of the software.
SORMAS is an open-source software that has been recognised as a Digital Public Good. It has been first established as the national surveillance and outbreak management system in Nigeria and Ghana. Fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic it is now used in over 10 countries in 5 WHO regions.
Future plans for the SORMAS development include, among others, the integration of the One Health approach addressing the increase of disease outbreaks due to climate change and the establishment of SORMAS as a regional standard in West and East Africa.
“This launching event will be key to increase the visibility of the Foundation and set up the basis for a strong supporting community” stress Dr Pilar Hernandez and Mr Jan Böhme, the two Managing Directors of the SORMAS Foundation.
For further information, please check the SORMAS Foundation website: www.sormas.org or send an e-mail at info@sormas.org
