By Dickson Omobola

In the battle to eradicate polio in Nigeria, a quiet revolution is taking place—led not by politicians or doctors, but by a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) expert.

Abdulkareem Bayo has emerged as a pivotal figure in reshaping how public health interventions are deployed across the country’s most remote and hard-to-reach communities.

Currently seconded to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) from E-Health Africa (eHA), Abdulkareem has spearheaded the application of GIS in polio vaccination campaigns. His innovative approach has seen technology previously reserved for navigation and urban planning repurposed to save lives. “GIS is more than maps; it’s a decision-making tool,” he told PUNCH in an exclusive interview.

Abdulkareem explained that GIS allows public health officials to visualise and analyse real-time spatial data. “By identifying high-risk areas, mapping out hard-to-reach communities, and enabling real-time tracking of vaccination teams, GIS has made it possible to address logistical challenges that were previously insurmountable,” he said.

His work has had profound impact in Northern Nigeria, a region notorious for its challenging terrain and security constraints. During his tenure, GIS was used to identify settlements previously missing from vaccination maps. “These were communities that would have remained invisible if not for satellite imagery and spatial data,” Abdulkareem added.

Beyond locating hidden populations, Abdulkareem’s GIS models improved coordination between health teams and ensured that vaccines were stored and distributed efficiently. “We used GIS to track the movement of vaccines and vaccination teams, minimising delays and wastage while improving overall efficiency,” he noted.

One of his key contributions is the development of a real-time GIS dashboard, which monitors the progress of immunisation efforts. The tool, he said, provides critical feedback to frontline workers and policymakers, allowing them to respond immediately to coverage gaps or operational issues. “This feedback loop is essential in a high-stakes campaign like polio eradication,” he emphasised.

Abdulkareem’s work has not gone unnoticed within the public health community. Many see his approach as a template for future disease intervention strategies. “His use of GIS has been a game-changer,” said a senior official at the NCDC who requested anonymity. “It has brought data-driven precision to an area long plagued by guesswork and manual errors.”

Reflecting on his journey, Abdulkareem said his goal extends beyond polio. “GIS has the potential to revolutionise not only polio vaccination systems but also other public health strategies worldwide,” he stated, adding that diseases like malaria and cholera could also benefit from similar geospatial approaches.

While much progress has been made, Abdulkareem acknowledges that there is still a long road ahead. However, he remains optimistic. “The future of public health lies in data, and GIS provides the lens through which we can interpret that data to save lives,” he affirmed.

From coordinating vaccine routes to putting forgotten communities on the map, Abdulkareem Sikiru Bayo is proving that innovation in public health doesn’t always come in the form of new medicine—but sometimes, in how we find and reach those who need it most.