Meet Miram, a contact officer in Zanzibar

A Day in the Life of a Contact Officer in Zanzibar

Morning Routine:
The day starts early for Mariam, a dedicated contact officer in the bustling heart of Zanzibar. After a quick breakfast of uji and some fresh fruits, she reviews her digital list of tasks on the SORMAS system. Today, she's scheduled to follow up on several contacts related to a recent dengue fever case in a nearby village.

Field Visits:
Mariam grabs her bag, which contains her essentials—identification badge, notebook, SORMAS-enabled tablet, and medical kit for basic screenings. Her first stop is at the home of a family who recently interacted with a confirmed case of dengue. She conducts a thorough interview with each family member, assessing their health and any symptoms they might be experiencing. She inputs all the data directly into her tablet, ensuring real-time updates to the SORMAS database.

Midday Break and Data Review:
After several house visits, Mariam finds a shady spot under a neem tree for a quick lunch. She uses this time to sync her morning data with the central health database and reviews alerts for any additional follow-ups needed in the afternoon.

Community Engagement:
In the afternoon, Mariam visits a local school to educate children and teachers about preventive measures against mosquito-borne diseases. She uses flyers and interactive presentations to engage the community, emphasizing the importance of maintaining clean water sources and proper waste disposal.

Evening Reporting:
Returning to her office, Mariam compiles her findings and updates her reports. She analyses the data collected, looking for patterns that might require immediate intervention or reporting to higher authorities. She schedules appointments for the next day and confirms her planned routes.

Reflection and Preparation:
At the end of the day, Mariam takes a moment to reflect on the impact of her work. She prepares her materials for the next day, ensuring her tablet is charged and her medical kit is restocked.