AUTHOR=Ogundiran Opeayo , Abbate Jessica L. , Kim Sooyoung , Diallo Mamadou Saliou Kalifa , Muteba Michel , Camara Daniel Cardoso Portela , Bianchi Lucas , Balde Thierno , Oyugi Boniface , Fortin Ann , Baykika-Tusiime Jayne , Williams George Sie , Mboussou Franck , Okot Charles , Mutoka Banza Freddy , Laundry Kabego , Ejiofor Ephraim Nonso , Kanyowa Trevor M. , Kamara Rashidatu , Atuhebwe Phionah , Gumede Nicksy , Herring Belinda Loiuse , Woldetsadik Solomon , Okeibunor Joseph , Koua Etien , Chamla Dick , Braka Fiona , Gueye Abdou Salam 

TITLE=Assessing the utility of the COVID-19 epidemic Situations of Concern classification system in guiding operational responses to the pandemic in the WHO African region: retrospective analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1562525

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1562525

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=During a public health emergency, early implementation of response activities is crucial for saving lives and protecting livelihoods. The COVID-19 pandemic, declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, posed a global public health crisis that required timely decision-making despite limited data and capacity. In this context, WHO’s Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) developed the Situations of Concern (SOC) classification system to assess and monitor epidemiological risk across its 47 Member States. We conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the performance and operational utility of the SOC system. Using weekly country-level COVID-19 surveillance data, we found that the system demonstrated strong alignment with epidemic wave patterns, with a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 88%. SOC classifications supported timely operational decision-making in over 70% of documented support instances. Effective management of limited resources through SOC assessments also helped ensure fair distribution of support across communities. Our findings suggest that adaptable classification systems like SOC can provide effective decision-support under conditions of limited data availability, improving outbreak preparedness and response in resource-constrained settings.