South Africa to test new tech that detects outbreaks of respiratory diseases
Digital surveillance
Digital participatory surveillance is relatively low-cost and easily scalable to any disease of public health significance. Users report on a weekly basis whether they have experienced symptoms related to respiratory illness or not. This allows for real-time estimation of cases without relying on access to medical care or testing capacity. This data can also be used toforecasthow outbreaks might spread in a community.
To date, digital participatory surveillance has not been widely used on the African continent, despite its potential value. But it’s been used in other parts of the world.
The first platform of this kind was launched in Europe in the 2003/2004 influenza season and they are now used in several countries, where they have been able todetect flu outbreaks earlier. TheUSA,Australia, and Mexico have their own digital participatory surveillance programs. Today, 11 European countries have established a continent-based digital participatory surveillance network calledInfluenzaNet. This allows for a comparison of trends within and between countries in Europe.
Countries in Europe, and the US, and Australia have increased and sustained participation on these platforms through media campaigns and public health messaging. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases is employing similar strategies through public relations and media in South Africa.
South Africa’s digital participatory surveillance will face some important challenges, though.
Firstly, information, and communications technology arelimited. Some parts of the country may not have internet connectivity.
Secondly, thedigital dividewithin a population means segments of the demographic may not be fully represented, because not everyone has access to smartphones or internet connectivity.
There may be some concerns and skepticism aroundsocial mediaand mobile apps with regard to data confidentiality and privacy. These are longstanding challenges that both government and various industries need to address.
Moving forward
As the digital world evolves, there is an opportunity to use technology to solve critical problems in public health.
Digital participatory surveillance allows the community to share in the responsibility of disease surveillance and contribute to the control and prevention of respiratory disease outbreaks.
This article is republished fromThe ConversationbyCheryl Cohen, co-head of the Centre for Respiratory Disease and Meningitis,National Institute for Communicable DiseasesandSibongile Walaza, Medical Epidemiologist at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases and Lecturer at the School of Public Health,University of the Witwatersrandunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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