from ARMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, Mozambique
Mozambique Bureau
MAPUTO, (CAJ News) – MOZAMBIQUE has emerged a leader in the fight against the deadly malaria in Africa by shifting to digital technologies and discarding paper-based systems.
Paper-based models are seen as archaic and unviable in dealing with huge volumes of data.
Through Mozambique’s transition to technology, processes such as mosquito net distribution campaigns, seasonal malaria chemoprevention and indoor residual spraying campaigns are now fully digitalised and integrated.
These are linked to a visual dashboard, enabling the Ministry of Health to receive data in real-time from the field improving its quality.
This is under a recently-introduced data repository, the Integrated Malaria Information System, and according to experts, this is addressing the enormous challenge faced by health workers in dealing with large volumes of data from several different areas of the government’s malaria control programme.
Large volumes of data from several different sources had previously overwhelmed health authorities, rendering data collection and analysis scattered and slow, and in turn diminishing their ability to rapidly respond to the needs of communities.
“We (now) analyse data and know what’s happening in real time,” said Dr Baltazar Candrinho, Director of the National Malaria Control Programme in Mozambique.
“We can track coverage and team performance and monitor stock levels. If a village hasn’t received nets or hasn’t been reached, we know exactly where it is using GPS.”
The government is rolling out the digitization project in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Dr Lawrence Kazembe, team leader for Precision Public Health Programme at WHO’s Africa office, said Mozambique had set a benchmark for regional health innovation.
“As we implement the project on advancing development of national malaria data repositories, Mozambique will provide valuable lessons and best practices, guiding what worked and why as we scale to other countries,” he said.
Malaria is endemic in the Southern African country.
It accounts for 3,4 percent of malaria cases globally and is the fifth highest country globally in terms of total case numbers.
– CAJ News