COVID-19 Response - Digital Technology Part 2

From CORE Group, this recording and accompanying presentations capture the contents of a phone call in which a panel of presenters from a variety of organisations discussed current digital technologies being used in the COVID-19 response. As outlined below, these technologies are addressing issues such as health worker training, information sharing and exchange, disease surveillance, and data gathering.

One of a series of weekly calls (see Related Summaries, below), Coordination Call #6 featured Lisa Hilmi, CORE Group's Executive Director, providing updates on risk communication and community engagement.  Magnus Conteh, Executive Director, Community Health Academy, Last Mile Health, facilitated the presentations and discussions.

The presentations, which in some cases included rapid-fire demonstrations, are as follows:

1. Presentation: Responding to COVID-19: UNICEF Experience with Digital Platforms
By: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Summary: UNICEF showcases the COVID-19 Information Chatbot. The chatbot (a pre-programmed conversation between a computer and a human user) allows UNICEF to assess needs, tackle misinformation, and, in partnership with governments, share reliable information on where communities can seek assistance. The chatbot uses the U-Report digital platform, which is currently being used by 10 million people in 65 countries. The platform uses multiple channels as appropriate for the country context, including SMS (text messaging) and social messaging channels such as Viber and Facebook Messenger.

UNICEF also briefly touches on another UNICEF-led digital initiative, the Internet of Good Things (IoGT). This platform hosts mobile-packaged content designed to make life-saving and life-improving information available for free, even on low-end devices. IoGT is an effort to help communities, including youth and adolescents, and frontline workers access educational and lifesaving information around COVID-19.

2. Presentation: Mobile Solutions for COVID-19 Response
By: Viamo
Summary: Viamo has developed 3 solutions that allow them to quickly communicate actionable COVID-19 response information (including prevention, diagnosis, treatment) at scale and at low cost. These are:

• Module 1: The 3-2-1 Service - provides on-demand information. Callers can access pre-recorded audio messages in local languages for free. This is being used in the COVID-19 response to give basic content around the virus and preventative measures, as well as self-diagnostic quizzes, ways to combat misinformation, and general situation updates.
• Module 2: Remote Training - allows modules to be delivered by voice, SMS, or chatbot to any kind of mobile phone. In the COVID-19 response, it is being used for the training of community health workers (CHW), frontline workers, and community leaders.
• Module 3: Surveys - allows for interactive voice response (IVR) and SMS-based mobile phone surveys. It is being used in the COVID-19 response to monitor a country's access to health care, either from the perspective of the general population, or health workers. Through knowledge surveys, it also allows one to get insights into the general population's understanding of hygiene and social distancing.

3. Presentation: Sierra Leone's Experience with Ebola and Responding to COVID-19 Using Digital Technology
By: Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone
Summary: This presentation shares information on current digital initiatives in Sierra Leone and their lessons learned from Ebola. It discusses how initially, before Ebola, the ministry was reliant on traditional means of communication (such as radios, billboards, and community meetings) to ensure that safety measures reached the population. After traditional media failed (particularly among youth), information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as WhatsApp, text messaging, and Facebook were used. The presentation explores some of the challenges experienced during Ebola, which included mistrust, misinformation, and lack of government ownership of Ebola data, and it highlights what the ministry has done differently with COVID-19, such as improving rapid data collection using SMS for disease surveillance. The presentation concludes with possible next steps to further deal with some of the challenges.

4. Presentation: Leap Mobile Learning Platform for COVID-19 Response
By: Amref Enterprises
Summary: The Leap mHealth platform is a mobile learning solution for training healthcare workers, including CHWs. It addresses the unique needs of Africa by reaching CHWs where they are, with standardised content. It can be used on any mobile device, in multiple languages, and does not require internet connectivity. It also allows for group chats for discussions with peers and supervisors, which is useful to share information and motivate health workers. In the context of COVID-19, one of the ways the platform has been used is to encourage CHWs to set up handwashing stations in their communities and to showcase their achievements using the platform.

5. Presentation: Implementation of the Personal Health Record (PHR) as a Tool for Integration of Migrants in Health Systems
By: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Summary: The IOM e-PHR platform is a fully electronic patient record platform designed to enhance knowledge amongst stakeholders about refugees' and migrants' health needs, thereby fostering access to and continuity of care for these populations. In particular, it ensures that migrant health assessment records are available at transit and destination countries, and it strengthens national and cross-border disease surveillance and response capacities. This is especially important in the current COVID-19 response, where migrants are very vulnerable due to their limited access to health care during transit and within many host countries. In addition to information on health trends within migrant populations, the platform provides information on migrant routes and transit areas, which is also useful in the context of COVID-19.

6. Presentation: An Introduction to Boost
By: Sabin Vaccine Institute
Summary: Developed in close, ongoing collaboration with immunisation partners, experts, and professionals, Boost provides online and offline opportunities for immunisation professionals to connect with peers and to access support and resources to learn and become better equipped to lead in challenging situations, such as COVID-19. It is currently assisting immunisation professions by offering guidance - in the form of documents/resources, training and networking - around the implementation of immunisation programmes in countries dealing with COVID-19. It is also being used to find out what immunisation professionals need in the current context.

This phone call - Coordination Call #6 - is one among a series of weekly calls that CORE Group began organising on February 6 2020. CORE Group is convening members and partners to discuss their institutional positions around a range of topics related to COVID-19 in an effort to coordinate and support the global pandemic response. During each call, people who signed up for the discussion have the opportunity to ask questions and give input, and these discussions are also included in the recording. To receive updates and coordination call announcements, subscribe to CORE Group's One Health Interest Group listserv or email the listserv using: onehealth@lists.coregroup.org.