Social Media Analytics for Post-Disasters Disease Detection in the Philippines

Abstract

Social media is an informal source of near-real time health data that may add valuable information to disease surveillance by providing broader health access to hard-to-reach populations. The Philippines' geography makes it prone to meteorological, hydrological, and geophysical disasters. During disasters, thousands of people escape to evacuation centers for months, sometimes with improper water sources and sanitation. Consequently, conditions are perfect for communicable disease transmission and can even be the source of an outbreak, weeks after the original event. We propose to use publicly available Twitter data following natural disasters to provide early warning of a likely communicable disease outbreak.