8/8/2006

SAFESAtellites For Epidemiology

A satellite based application for health early warning

1

25/09/2006 SAFE 2

ESA context: telemedicine via satellite transition phase

ESA wants to create a telemedicine programme in partnership with WHO.

Creation of a European expert group to advise ESA on the actions to be promoted in the telemedicine field.

Identifications of 3 activities by the expert groupHealth Early Warning -> SAFE projectManagement of Medical Emergency for commercial aviation Interconnectivity for Healthcare Services and Professional Medical Education bridging communities in Eastern and Western Europe

Approach: User driven, user co-funding for sustainability, promotion of a transition phase

25/09/2006 SAFE 3

Context (Source WHO, InVS)

Among current biological threats Avian Influenza

Since 2003: 235 cases, 137 deaths (WHO, 8/08/2006) Increasing geographical spread in animals, increasing number of species affected…

Current or emerging and re-emerging diseasesGlobal challenges for AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and many othersEnvironmental/climate changes influence microbial geographical distribution, persistence and transmission mode and can cause spread of local or species-specific diseasesOn average, one new human disease per year, of which 75% is from animal originDiseases can re-emerge after containment if the reservoir of the virus still exists (Ebola, SARS)Chikungunya in La Réunion island:

since March 2005 - More than 266 000 cases (InVS, 3/08/2006).

BioterrorismAnthrax (US, 2001)

+ Risk of epidemiological crises after natural or man-made disasters

25/09/2006 SAFE 4

Context (Source WHO)

25/09/2006 SAFE 5

Needs

Need for an Outbreak Management System to prevent, predict and organize an optimized response.

Network of experts, decision-makers Tools:

To prevent or predict the outbreakTo issue early warningTo optimize the resources and the intervention to limit the extension of the crisis

Added value of satellite communications for health early warning in remote, isolate or prone to natural or man-made disaster areas.

25/09/2006 SAFE 6

SATCOM in biological crises

Access to communication from any place in the world especially remote areas or areas with difficult access.

Data collection for electronic surveillance and early alertGeolocalisation of events related to the outbreak of epidemics (monitoring of movement of birds, localization of areas at risks…)

Communication for management of biological crisis. Satellite connectivity between experts, decision-making centers and coordination centers on the site of the crisis. Access to Internet from remote areas or mobile field unitsSatellite communications for mobile field units.

Post disaster monitoring for data collection.

25/09/2006 SAFE 7

SAFE objectives

Specifications based on a close collaboration with end-users, in particular WHO and ECDC. Development of a European Outbreak management

system:InteroperableImplementing existing standardsBased on well recognized open source technologies.

To provide a standard tool usable by the maximum number of end-users.

To develop and demonstrate the added value of various satellite communication services for all the phases of a biological crisis including prevention,

early warning and crisis management.

To develop and demonstrate the added value of various satellite communication services for all the phases of a biological crisis including prevention,

early warning and crisis management.

25/09/2006 SAFE 8

SAFE demonstrator (1)

Operation field

Local application server

Coordination van

Sat comm. Providerterrestrial gateway

Network equipment

InternetInternet

Data consulting on remote site

Video conferences users

Field agents

Data handling (consulting,meeting, reporting)

End users / Expert centers

SAFEremote

applicationserverField

laboratory

SAFE

Globalstar Gateway

Globalstar

Eutelsat

GPS

DVB-RCS

25/09/2006 SAFE 9

SAFE demonstrator (2)

A network of expert centers and hospitals able to communicate by satellites and interoperable with other networks

A coordination van DVB-RCS capability Deployable Wi-Fi networkPortable terminals, satellite phones for mobile teams

A field laboratory or lab.van In-situ analyses

An information systemData collectionGIS for geolocalisation and visualization of epidemics evolution

25/09/2006 SAFE 10

Network of expert centers

Satellite link to restore the communication

between the field and the overall network of epidemiological surveillance through Internet.

For SAFE demonstrations: DVB-RCS accessAccess through a communication platform offering:

Broadband satellite connectivity for high quality point to point and multipoint videoconference or broadcasting applications.Access to a network of already satellite powered sites (35 hospitals in various countries)

25/09/2006 SAFE 11

Coordination van

Link with expert and decision makers:DVB-RCS connectionAccess to Internet

Link with mobile teams on the field:Local Wi-Fi networkSatellite phones for areas outside Wi-Fi coveragehandheld terminals for data collection by the mobile teams.

Equipped withSatcom antenna for DVB-RCS connection (2Mb/s)Application server with SAFE information system (data collection + GIS)Mobile terminals for the field agents: Tablet PC, PDA, GlobalStar Phones+ for the purpose of SAFE demonstrations: a lab. Kit.

25/09/2006 SAFE 12

Lab van (Field laboratory)

To obtain and analyze:Environmental samples to evaluate the diffusion of the biological agent and the sources of contaminationBiological samples from asymptomatic people and for people demonstrating local or general symptoms of infection or intoxication

Series of preliminary tests Advices and expertise from remote expert centers (Possibility to send images and data) Rapid and preliminary information provided to hospitals and public health experts (care of

potentially infected/intoxicated people)

Link with the coordination van, remote expert centers

Equipped with Instruments and material to obtain biological and environmental samplesBasic microbiological kits to detect and presumptively identify the biological agentSAFE information systemLink with laboratories, hospitals, epidemiological centers, military and civil protection groups for the crisis management. Structures and instrumentation to protect people working in from the contaminating agent

To limit the costs, the lab van will be replaced by a lab kit included in the coordination van for most of SAFE demonstrations.

To limit the costs, the lab van will be replaced by a lab kit included in the coordination van for most of SAFE demonstrations.

25/09/2006 SAFE 13

Data management system - MEDANY

Based on open source technologies (Eclipse eRCP namely supported by IBM, Nokia, Motorola)

Solution adapted to any type of situation, easy deployment, easy maintenance

Quick and easy configuration of collection formsEasy application deployment (concept of rich client) as easy as calling a URLeUpdate -> very easy maintenance

Configuration:Remote and local application servers for collecting, consolidating, storing an analyzing information Rich client deployed on mobile equipment

Maintenance facilitated (eUpdates). High portability on a great number of handheld devices (PDA, Smart Phones)

Website for data consultationInterface with laboratory equipment for the lab van. Security: secured access with user profiles.

Interoperability Export via web services for inter-system communicationExport to files (spreadsheet, Epi Info format…)Database with standard interfaces - integration of a data model defined in accordance with PHIN guidelines.

25/09/2006 SAFE 14

GIS

Integration of information essential for the evaluation of the situation

Vegetation mapLand coverWater resources, water qualityWind blow and dust mapsLand surface temperatureMeteorological information layer. Integration of geopolitical informationIn-situ information all along the crisis

Points of sample collectionSituation of the different components/people of the in-situ unitsAreas covered by mobile teams.

Satellite images: Global analysis of the situation: Historical information and new acquired one to evaluate damage.

Digital elevation maps

25/09/2006 SAFE 15

Demontrations

Objective:To validate SAFE approach with end-users.

Different types of demonstrations:End-to-end case of early warning at the onset of an epidemic based on a post disaster scenario.

Itinerant and On-demand demonstrations

Inclusion of a scenario on the avian flu risk defined with experts from WHO. Evaluation of SAFE solution for radiological risks. Others to be defined, all over Europe, on demand of users.

25/09/2006 SAFE 16

Sustainability

Objective of the consortium:To provide a sustainable system for Health Early Warning, using international standards and relying on advanced satcom services.

Promotion towards end-usersParticipation to workshopsPromotion of a users groupOrganization of the itinerant on demand demonstrations

25/09/2006 SAFE 17

Other perspectives and recommendations

Conditions for acceptability of space based products by the usersLegal aspects of sharing health related data

Access and property rights on transnational dataRules for publishing transnational sensitive data

Standardization of health data for efficient exchanges in the European region.

Discussion with decision makers:Possibility to issue an open source version of a basic SAFE information system for data collection in collaboration with decision makers.

Initial investment to be defined.

25/09/2006 SAFE 18

Schedule

Duration: 18 months (07/2006 - 12/2007)July 2006 - December 2006:

Definition of users and requirementsFunctional analysis, system design

November 2006 - June 2007:Development and integration

July 2007-December 2007:DemonstrationsCost benefit and sustainability analysisPerspectives and recommendations.

25/09/2006 SAFE 19

Partners

FORTHInstitute for Computer Science

FORTHInstitute for Computer Science

MicrobiologyUNIVERSITY of VERONA

MicrobiologyUNIVERSITY of VERONA

25/09/2006 SAFE 20

Why becoming part of the users group

Participate in the specifications of the system.

Contribute to evaluate SAFE solution, for instance by including SAFE solution in one of your exercises

Get a prior access to SAFE results

Become a partner for the dissemination and the exploitation