Banjul, The Gambia | 30 June 2026
The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC) has officially handed over an operational Behavioral Intelligence and Infodemic Management (BIIM) System to the Ministry of Health of The Gambia, marking a significant milestone in strengthening regional health security, epidemic preparedness, and evidence-based public health decision-making across West Africa.
The BIIM System integrates social listening, community listening, and health service feedback into a single digital platform, enabling the real-time collection and analysis of rumors, misinformation, community concerns, and behavioral insights. The system supports timely, data-driven public health actions and strengthens risk communication during public health emergencies.
Representing ECOWAS RCSDC, Dr. Imaobong Udo Isang described the handover as a major step towards institutionalizing behavioral intelligence across the region.
"The BIIM System demonstrates ECOWAS' commitment to strengthening regional health security. By institutionalizing behavioral intelligence, member states will be better equipped to make timely, evidence-based decisions and respond effectively to public health emergencies."
Receiving the system on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Michael Manga Mendy, Director of Health Promotion and Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), welcomed the initiative, noting that it will strengthen the country's ability to understand and respond to community concerns.
"This system is a significant step forward for The Gambia. It provides us with a structured approach to collecting, analyzing, and using community insights to improve risk communication, strengthen public trust, and enhance emergency response."
Leading the mission, Patrick Lansana, program manager for health promotion and RCCE at Sierra Leone's National Public Health Agency (NPHA), highlighted the importance of regional collaboration and peer-to-peer learning.
"Sierra Leone is honored to share its experience with our ECOWAS partners.
The successful deployment of the BIIM System in The Gambia demonstrates the power of regional collaboration, peer learning, and country-to-country technical support in strengthening public health systems."
The successful handover follows an intensive technical mission that included system configuration, dashboard customization and testing, adaptation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), field piloting, and comprehensive capacity building for national and regional teams.
With this achievement, The Gambia joins Sierra Leone and other ECOWAS Member States in advancing the regional vision of institutionalising Behavioural Intelligence and infodemic management as a core component of public health emergency preparedness and response across West Africa. Do it in a website article format.