Descriptive Assessment of Big Data Technologies Application in the Prevention of Infectious Diseases’ Spread through Air Travels

Abstract

Ajodo EU, Kuti IA, Ajobo S and Ndagi U

Global spread of infectious diseases is on the rise due to inter-country air travels. The 2019 coronavirus outbreak Wuhan China that spread to other parts of the world is a typical example. Efforts toward preventing global spread of infectious diseases through the international airport had led to the use of big data and big data tools/technologies. The focus of this study is to use descriptive approach to investigate the role of big data tools/technologies in the prevention of infectious diseases’ spread through air travels. The study adopted the quantitative research approach using online questionnaire formulated into Google Open Data Kit (ODK) form. The questionnaire was distributed using purposive sampling to 252 staff of three selected international airports in Nigeria with 101, 71 and 80 participants from airport A, B and C. The primary quantitative data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result showed mean scores range from 3.24 to 3.99-points with computer-based PCR machines having the higher a mean of 3.99-points and hardware connectable sensors 3.79-points on a 5-points scale. Results equally revealed that 59.5 % of the participants agreed to have adopted big data tools/technologies for diseases detection and surveillance at the airports. In the area of application, travel surveillance (4.43) and incident mitigation (4.24) were among the top areas of application of big data within airports. The result showed that global pandemics (4.64) and workers’ well-being (4.49) were top drivers of big data adoption and use in the airports. The study concluded that there is high-level of utilization and perceived effectiveness of big data tools among respondents, with consensus on the usefulness of these tools in diseases prevention at airports. It recommends developing robust data governance policies; prioritize protection of passengers and employees’ data and compliance with regulatory standards in providing safety to travelers.

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