Digital Health Solutions for COVID-19 Response

"Donors like USAID, DFID, World Bank, and Gates Foundation are asking, 'What global digital health solutions are available for international COVID response,' that can be implemented by government health systems in low- and middle-income countries [LMICs]?"

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, ICTworks, a community of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) professionals, asked the digital health practitioners in the Global Digital Health Network for their thoughts on which digital health solutions would be applicable for the response in LMICs. The multiple ideas that were received and that are shared in the links within the following blogs could be resources for public health managers as they seek to mitigate this international communicable disease outbreak.

Namely:

• In 10 Global Digital Health Solutions for International Coronavirus Response [March 7 2020], co-founder of ICTworks Wayan Vota lists and links to digital health solutions that LMIC governments could use for coronavirus response, including prevention, containment, and diagnosis of COVID-19. To cite just 2 of the examples:
  • askNivi is a free interactive chat service designed to help people learn about key health topics and make informed and supported decisions about their health. New conversations were added to share information from the World Health Organization (WHO) when people began asking questions about COVID-19, and content will be expanded as the coronavirus situation changes.
  • mHero is a 2-way, mobile-phone-based communication system that uses basic text messaging, or SMS, to connect ministries of health and health workers. IntraHealth International developed mHero with the government of Liberia and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the Ebola outbreak in Liberia; now, Liberian ministry officials are using mHero to send COVID-19 messages to health workers.
  • ...and more...
• In 10 Digital Health Technology Solutions for Global COVID-19 Response [March 11 2020], Vota announced an interactive workshop that was held on March 12 2020 to gather together the Global Digital Health Network, along with workers from the donor, government, and health communities, to provide an update on COVID-19 and coronavirus infections, to explore what national health systems are doing to prepare and mitigate COVID-19 impact, and to share lessons learned from the West African Ebola response that could inform this one. The list included here offers additional COVID response global digital health solutions, such as:
  • HealthAlert is a WhatsApp-based helpline to disseminate information about COVID-19 from the National Department of Health to the South African public. It includes a helpdesk with automated response and triage to answer users queries and real-time data insights for national policy decisions.
  • WelTel is a secure, web-based, communication platform that uses SMS and voice or video outreach when appropriate for integrated virtual care and patient engagement.
  • ......and more...
• In Five COVID Response Insights for Digital Development Practitioners, Vota outlines several insights that emerged from the March 12 2020 workshop, along with links to various related examples/resources (also inviting others to share thoughts in the comments section):
  • Large online peer learning is possible - Vota is working on a virtual Global Digital Development Forum that would create a massive online meeting around COVID-19.
  • Incremental improvements to existing healthcare systems are preferable in such a crisis to radically new innovations - Vota cites the aforementioned HealthAlert system, which he says has the advantage of requiring no training or behaviour change for adoption.
  • There is a need to invest in human resources for health - For example, COMPASS supports staff at all levels with modular interventions (no "new" software tools to learn) and now has coronavirus modules developed by health experts for preventative measures and case management at the facility and community levels.
  • Investment for global COVID-19 disease detection and emergency response efforts is happening now.
• In How Artificial Intelligence Applications Can Contain Coronavirus COVID-19 [March 4 2020], Vota provides examples of, and links to, various artificial intelligence solutions he feels can be applied to each of the 4 factors WHO has identified as being crucial to a successful public health response to an outbreak of a new infection: (i) understanding transmissibility and risk populations; (ii) establishing the natural history of infection; (iii) identifying and characterising the causative organism; and (iv) conducting epidemiological modelling to suggest effective prevention and control measures. Vota suggests that ICTs such as those described in this blog could assist frontline health workers and support epidemiologist and virologist specialists in preventing, diagnosing, and treating communicable diseases like COVID-19.

From the above blogs: A growing public list of ICT solutions that could be used (or are already being used) to contain the coronavirus includes the name of the solution, company, and contact person (with email). It includes 120 or more items as of April 6 2020, and ICT4D practitioners are invited to contribute their ideas to it. Click here to submit your digital health application to be included in the list.