Topic outline

  • Introduction

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    "Welcome to our Gender and Surveillance course!"

    This is where your journey in mastering the skills to understand and work with gender-related fields in the context of Gender and Surveillance in digital systems begins. Dive into an engaging interactive webinar, designed to not only provide vital information but also to test your understanding. This isn't just any demo - you'll answer questions and interact with it as you learn. After that, you'll take a short quiz to help reinforce what you have learned. If you finish all these activities, you'll get a special Digital Certificate to show that you have completed the course.


    Let's start learning!

    • About this course

      We invite you to complete this free course as an advanced course to Gender related aspects in SORMAS. Through interactive activities like webinars and a quizzes, you will engage with the content, reinforcing your learning and understanding of key concepts. As you progress you will earn badges and points to show your progress. Optional activities, links and demo screenshots are provided. The essential activites will be marked as complete after you have done so. If you achieve a passing grade of at least 70% in the final assessment, a digital certificate will be issued upon completion. At the end, you will find literature recommendations for additional information regarding this topic. 

      🕑   Duration: Two hours

      👥   Audience: General: previous experience in SORMAS and basic knowledge in Gender related data systems are required

      📲   Device: Laptop, tablet or smartphone. Participants should be comfortable navigating mobile devices, accessing apps, and using basic device functions

      📶   Internet: The course requires an internet connection, some assessments can be completed offline using the Moodle App

      📔   Certificate: Completion tracking and certificate is available if you create an account and are logged in with your full name and email address to receive a certificate. You also need to be enrolled with the course to start tracking your progress.

       
      Learning Objectives:

      ✔️   Understand and identify SORMAS related gender fields 

      ✔️   Know how you can use SORMAS to detect gender specific indicators

      ✔️   Be motivated to keep on building your skills in one area to support your community

       

      If you would like to check if you are ready for this course, you can test some of your knowledge about the Basics Course in the following quizzes below.

    • Quick Quiz SORMAS Basics H5P
    • Flashcard quiz SORMAS Basics H5P

  • Sex and Gender Basics

    "Let´s understand the differences between sex and gender and why they are important to consider!"

    This section will cover some of the basic things you need to know, when considering sex and gender. It builds upon the free online WHO course "Sex and gender in infectious disease programms" which is the foundation for the rest of this course. We recommend you complete the WHO course before continuing the SORMAS course if the concepts of sex and gender and their impact on surveillance and public health prgramms are new to you.

    You can click here to view the free online course, which can be completed at any time1.

    After completing the WHO course, try the quiz below to check your understanding! It’s optional and not needed to earn your certificate.

    • Quiz WHO course H5P
      Students must
      Receive a grade

    • When planning and implementing public health programs, it is essential to recognize that sex and gender influence how diseases spread, who is most at risk, and how people access care.

      • Biological differences (sex) can affect how individuals respond to infection, treatment, and vaccines.

      • Social roles and expectations (gender) shape exposure to infection, care-seeking behavior, and access to health resources.

      Example: During COVID-19, more men died from severe cases (biological factors), while more women faced economic and caregiving burdens (gender roles). Both perspectives are needed for effective surveillance and response1.

      Understanding the Difference: Sex vs. Gender
      Sex
      • Refers to biological characteristics (e.g., chromosomes, reproductive organs, hormones).

      • Typically classified as male or female, but variations exist (e.g., intersex).

      • Important in surveillance because biological sex may affect:

        • Immune response

        • Transmission patterns

        • Treatment outcomes
      Gender
      • Refers to socially constructed roles, norms, and expectations about what it means to be “male” or “female” in a given society.

      • Gender is linked to power and inequality which are reinforced by systems like law and health care

      • Relevant for surveillance because gender affects:

        • Who has access to healthcare and information

        • Who provides unpaid caregiving

        • How stigma influences testing, reporting, or treatment

      Key Point: While sex is about biology, gender is about society – and both impact health outcomes2.

      Why Sex and Gender matter in Surveillance

      When we collect and analyze health data without considering sex and gender, we risk:

      • Misinterpreting patterns of disease spread

      • Overlooking vulnerable groups

      • Designing one-size-fits-all programs that don’t work equally well for everyone 

       

      Examples in practice:

      • Contact tracing: Women may be more reachable at home, while men may be more exposed in workplaces.

      • Statistics: Disaggregating data by sex helps identify mortality differences. Adding gender analysis reveals the social reasons behind them.

      • Resource allocation: Understanding caregiving roles ensures vaccines or PPE reach those most at risk1.

      Learn More

      To gain an in-depth understanding of these concepts we reccomend completing the full WHO course. It is free of charge, online and unmoderated, so it can be completed at any time.

    • Gender True and False Quiz H5P
      Students must
      Receive a grade
    • Check your knowledge: Sex or Gender? H5P
      Students must
      Receive a grade

  • Sex and Gender in SORMAS

    "Considering sex and gender goes beyond disaggregating data. Let’s explore how to use SORMAS effectively to promote equity and improve public health outcomes."
     

    In the past few sections you have learned the basics on sex and gender and how to differentiate between them. You have also started to gain an understanding of why it is important to consider those concepts when thinking about infection control within digital surveillance softwares like SORMAS.

    The next section will provide multiple examples showcasing the effects of sex and gender. Remember that gender is contextual and implications might vary between countries and cultures. Not every example might fit the experiences in your region.

    Within every szenario there will be a Step-for-Step-Guide on how to include relevant information within SORMAS. You can follow along in the SORMAS Demo system and try it out yourself. Remember to only add fictional data into the SORMAS Demo and no real names or health information.

  • SORMAS Gender Strategy

    "Let´s see how the SORMAS Gender Strategy contributes to our goals."

    • “The notable health differences between females and males point to an urgent need for policies to be based on sex-specific and age-specific data. It is also important to continue promoting gender-sensitive research, and ultimately, implement interventions that not only reduce the burden of disease but also achieve greater health equity.”  (The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health 2022).

      Although not involved in policy development, the SORMAS Foundation, recognizing these imperatives and being a gender-specific organization, is committed to integrating gender perspectives in its disease surveillance and management efforts.

      The comprehensive gender strategy aims to promote gender equality within the SORMAS Foundation and also to ensure that our disease surveillance and outbreak management efforts are inclusive and effective. By considering gender-specific vulnerabilities and implementing gender-sensitive practices, we contribute to reducing the burden of disease and achieving greater health equity.

       The SORMAS Foundation has a gender strategy, which can be viewed in detail on the website at the following link XXX.

      A critical aspect of gender-sensitive public health practices is the availability of sex-disaggregated health data. The minimum requirement for a gender-based analysis is the collection and analysis of such data. However, many routine systems do not collect sex-disaggregated data, or when they are collected, they are not analyzed and reported. The WHO (GWH-Gender-and-Health-Data-and-Statistics) highlights that without this data, it is challenging to identify and address gender-specific health issues effectively. Ensuring that SORMAS facilitates the collection, analysis, and reporting of sex-disaggregated data is essential for developing targeted interventions and promoting gender equality in health outcomes.

      By implementing this gender strategy, the SORMAS Foundation aims to enhance the inclusivity and effectiveness of its disease surveillance and outbreak management efforts, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes and reduced gender disparities in public health.

      Use Case: COVID-19

      Background

      COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerged in late 2019 and quickly spread worldwide, leading to a global pandemic. The disease highlighted significant challenges in disease surveillance, outbreak management, and the importance of timely data collection and analysis. The SORMAS system has been instrumental in managing COVID-19 outbreaks by providing real-time surveillance, contact tracing, and case management capabilities.

      Implementation of SORMAS in COVID-19 Management

      Data Disaggregation:

      ·       Objective: To ensure that sex-disaggregated data on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are collected and analyzed.

      ·       Outcome: SORMAS enabled health authorities to identify gender-specific trends in COVID-19 transmission and outcomes. For instance, data revealed that while men had higher mortality rates, women were more likely to be exposed due to caregiving roles, thus informing targeted public health interventions.

      Training and Capacity Building:

      ·       Objective: To train health workers at all levels on using SORMAS for effective COVID-19 surveillance and management.

      ·       Outcome: Health workers received comprehensive training, which included modules on gender-sensitive data collection and reporting. This ensured that gender disparities in COVID-19 impacts were recognized and addressed promptly.

      Support for Implementation:

      ·       Objective: To assist ministries of health and local health agencies with the deployment of SORMAS for COVID-19 response.

      ·       Outcome: SORMAS was deployed in multiple countries, providing a unified platform for tracking COVID-19 cases, managing contact tracing, and monitoring quarantine and isolation measures. This support was crucial in areas with limited resources, enhancing their capacity to manage the outbreak effectively.

      Community Building:

      ·       Objective: To foster a global community of practice among SORMAS users for knowledge sharing and collaborative problem-solving.

      ·       Outcome: The global Community of Practice facilitated by SORMAS enabled health professionals to share best practices and lessons learned in managing COVID-19. This community included diverse perspectives, promoting inclusive solutions and reinforcing the importance of gender-sensitive approaches in outbreak management.

      Impact on Gender Equality

      Enhanced Data Practices:

      ·       The implementation of SORMAS ensured that sex-disaggregated data was routinely collected, analyzed, and reported. This practice highlighted the different ways COVID-19 affected men and women, leading to more targeted and effective public health measures.

      Improved Health Outcomes:

      ·       By addressing the unique vulnerabilities of different gender groups, SORMAS contributed to more equitable health outcomes. For example, recognizing that women were more likely to be caregivers led to targeted support and protective measures for female health workers and caregivers, reducing their risk of infection.

      Empowerment of Health Workers:

      ·       The training and support provided by SORMAS empowered health workers to implement gender-sensitive practices in their daily work. This not only improved the effectiveness of the COVID-19 response but also promoted a more inclusive and equitable health system overall.

      Conclusion

      The use of SORMAS in managing the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates its effectiveness as an outbreak management tool and its capacity to promote gender equality in health. By enabling comprehensive data collection, providing extensive training, supporting implementation, and fostering a diverse community of practice, SORMAS has proven to be an invaluable asset in addressing both immediate public health challenges and long-standing gender disparities in health outcomes.

  • Summary

    "Congratulations! You have made it to the end!"

    You have taken your first steps into the world of the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management & Analysis System (SORMAS), an open-source software pivotal in managing and controlling infectious diseases globally. You have gained an understanding of the purpose of SORMAS, recognized the importance of collaborative efforts in data collection and analysis, and (hopefully) are now inspired to continue building your skills in this area to support your community. 

    You started by understanding the basic functionalities of SORMAS, covering ten different menus including case management, contact tracing, and data visualization. The course emphasized the role you play, whether as a surveillance officer or a lab manager, in the effective use of SORMAS for disease control and outbreak management. Through interactive activities like webinars, flashcards, quizzes, and games, you engaged with the content, reinforced your learning and understanding of key concepts.

    In summary, this course offered you an engaging and comprehensive introduction to SORMAS, equipping you with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively use the software in various public health roles. It highlights the collaborative nature of disease surveillance and the critical role of technology in managing health crises.

    If you successful completed the course, you will now be awarded a Digital Certificate of Completion, acknowledging your readiness to contribute to global health surveillance efforts using SORMAS. Before we do that, please kindly complete a short Course Evaluation.