In an effort aimed at helping local authorities better manage the spread of Covid 19 in their municipal areas, RESLOG supported the union of municipalities of Dreib Al-Awsat and Jurd Al-Qayteh in combating the virus through developing the innovative health-monitoring Salamati app.
To launch the app and share good practices and lessons learned during the pandemic, a webinar was organised in August 2020 by SALAR International, Connective Cities, Balamand University, and the municipality of Abasan. The project was funded by Balamand University and Sweden.
About Salamati app
Salamati is a GIS-based application that helps local authorities in Akkar- Lebanon fast screen and follow up on suspected cases of Covid-19 within the municipal areas and allows the municipality to respond in an area-based approach to help limit the pandemic spread in the villages.
Trained Syrians and Lebanese living within the union’s areas volunteered to collect data. Suspected cases were followed up by assigned doctors who then decided whether the cases are required to conduct a PCR test or be quarantined.
According to Souraya Hammoud, Deputy Country Project Manager, “Salamati was more than a health-crisis monitoring system; it’s been a living model of building capacities and collaboration between the community, local authorities, and refugees that made all the partners enabled and empowered.”
Outcome: Salamati was adopted locally by Qobayat municipality in Akkar and internationally by the Abasan municipality. Handover of the app to the union of municipalities and interested municipalities included a municipal guide, a volunteer guide, and different awareness posts designed for social media.
