What is APHAN?
Africa’s Public Health Analytics Network (APHAN) is a virtual community that organizes all public health data and information in a central location. It is a niche for public health experts & enthusiasts to promote discourse on open data. Our mission is to build a public health data-driven system in Africa.
How do I sign up?
You can sign up by clicking on the ‘Signup’ button at the top right of the page, and filling the required fields. You will then receive an ‘activation email’ with instructions to set up your account.
What can I do on the platform?
As a member of the APHAN community, you can:
- Create posts or polls on trending public health topics that are of interest to you;
- Obtain first-hand information in trending scholarships and fellowships
- Inform other members about upcoming events in the public health space;
- Building your capacity in public health and health data analytics (through APHAN events)
- Request for health data or submit relevant health data on the platform that will be shared with the community.
- Interaction and network with experts and peers in the field (including mentoring and career/study advice)
- Ask questions or share tips for members of the community to learn from.
How do I create posts or ask questions?
To create a post or ask a question, click on the blue + icon at the bottom right of the home page. Your post has to be at least 20 characters long.
Can I create polls on APHAN?
Yes you can. To create a poll, click on the blue + icon at the bottom right of the page that allows you to ask a question or start a discussion. In the “format” bar, click on the “settings” icon where you’ll see the ‘Build Poll’ option.
Can I edit or delete my posts?
Yes, you can edit or delete posts that you created.
To edit a post, click the edit icon at the top right of the post you created. To delete a post, you can click on the delete icon at the bottom right of the post.
APHAN moderators & administrators can also edit or delete posts created by members based on the community guidelines.
How do I attach files, videos & images to my posts/questions?
To attach files or images to your post, check the format bar for an upload icon. This will allow you to upload a file or image directly from your computer or from the web. Supported files include docx, pdf, jpg, jpeg, png, gif, heic, heif and webp.
What are APHAN moderators/administrators?
APHeN moderators/administrators are members of the community who are generally helpful and knowledgeable on public health matters and oversee the APHeN platform. They have the ability to edit and delete posts if they find them to be inappropriate or go against the community guidelines, move threads, and perform other actions.
How do I submit/request data on the APHAN platform?
To submit data on the APHAN platform, use the upload button while creating a post in the ‘Data Sharing’ category, which will then be vetted by the moderators.
If you would like to request for data, also ask for that in the same category and a member of the APHAN team will get back to you on the status of your request.
Is sharing data on APHAN safe?
We believe that data should be shareable and easily accessible to whoever may need it. So be aware that while the personal data you provide while registering is private, health data you provide here can be accessed by anyone.
Can I DM other APHAN users?
Yes, you can message other users directly if you wish to do so.
To do that, go to the navigation bar and click on ‘Users’ to get access to the list of all users on the platform, then click on a user’s profile picture to access the direct message option.
Can I contact APHAN if I have a health/medical inquiry?
Unfortunately, we cannot give out medical advice on this platform as discussions on this platform are focused on public health and health data. If you have any medical inquiries, we highly recommend that you speak to a doctor.
What are badges and how do I earn them?
A badge is a reward given to users to recognize their active participation on the platform. To earn badges, you have to perform specific tasks on the platform. For a full list of activities that can earn you badges, check out the ‘Badges’ section in the navigation bar.
How can I give feedback?
If you have any more questions about how the platform works or feedback on how things can work better here, please use the feedback category and your questions will be answered by a member of the team.
What are the APHAN categories and why do they exist?
APHAN categories exist to order discussions according to program areas or common themes. There are currently 9 categories tailored to different types of discussions that can take place on the platform. The list of categories can be seen on the left hand side of the homepage. Posts appear in the categories they are placed in, when created. You can also create tags by typing in keywords relevant to the post.