A Glance at the Experiences of Controlling the COVID-19 Disease in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Provinces Based on GIS Information

Background and Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted the world with various problems in the economic, social and political dimensions of health. The present study aimed to investigate control and preventive measures in controlling COVID-19, to investigate the epidemiology and cumulative incidence of COVID-19, as well as management activities, empowerment of personnel, and capacity estimation in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad provinces; an attempt was also made to use GIS geographic information to guide policymakers. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted using a review of reliable information within a period of 41 months after the identification of the first case of the disease in the province. The collected information, including sampling cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and COVID-19 vaccination statistics, was collected from the portal of the Center for Infectious Disease Management of the Ministry of Health, the Integrated Health System (SIB), and the Health System Information Observatory of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education. Results: The cumulative number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in the province is 130,129 and 1,137, respectively. The total number of doses of vaccine administered in the province, based on the coverage area, according to the Integrated Health System (IHS), was 1,363,703. Also, increasing the bed capacity of the intensive care unit in the province to 55 beds, setting up three CT scanners in the provincial hospitals, and setting up a cellular and molecular laboratory in the two cities of Boyer Ahmad and Kohgiluyeh, in addition to distributing COVID-19 vaccines to all health centers, health bases, and health and medical centers, and sending mobile teams to conduct COVID-19 vaccinations to administer the vaccine door-to-door and in offices and organizations, were among the management activities in the field of COVID-19 control in the province. Conclusion: Increasing the capacity to sample suspected cases and identify patients in the shortest possible time, isolating them, taking intervention measures to encourage people to get vaccinated, and creating awareness about preventing this disease have reduced the burden caused by it and increased the response capacity of the provincial health system.