Akros featured in recent reports
By Akros Media on August 28, 2017 in Capacity Building, Health Data Systems, Malaria, News, Uncategorized, Water and Sanitation Health
We strive to be consistently on the cutting edge of the development and technology sector. And the cutting edge does not form without a stalwart commitment to research and a collecting of best practices. We are excited to have been mentioned in several recent pieces of independent research as having implemented technologies and systems that are furthering development work around the world.
Mobile Solutions for Malaria Elimination Surveillance Systems: A Roadmap
The first is in a report titled “Mobile Solutions for Malaria Elimination Surveillance Systems: A Roadmap” funded by the Gates Foundation and carried out by Vital Wave. The study was done to “develop key recommendations regarding appropriate, scalable strategies to promote further innovation and coordination among technology partners” and to “Develop specific recommendations for a coherent and effective Foundation strategy for strengthening data collection systems and associated platforms.” Our mSpray system was featured as a highlight of the geolocation category for the way it increases the efficiency and effectiveness of indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaigns (page 48 of the report).
In its conclusions and recommendations, the report points out that “many of the key elements needed to improve the development and implementation of robust mobile tools for malaria surveillance already exist.” It also says that coordination among malaria program implementers will be key to success and will help keep current the list of necessary features within these digital tools.
[icon]icon-book[/icon] Read the full report here.
Improving Data Quality in Mobile Community-Based Health Information Systems–Guidelines for Design and Implementation
Another report, titled “Improving Data Quality in Mobile Community-Based Health Information Systems–Guidelines for Design and Implementation” carried out by Measure Evaluation focuses on the most localized levels of data collection, namely the areas where community-based health workers (CHWs) collect and submit data and often provide services as an extension of the health system at large. Akros is featured when the report speaks to performance-based incentives established for health workers and their supervisors (page 26). In our community-based surveillance of malaria program, CHWs were incentivized with mobile phone airtime, helping the program maintain strong reporting rates and therefore better data from which to make decisions.
[icon]icon-book[/icon] Read the full report here.
DHIS2 Community Health Information System Guidelines
In a third report, titled “DHIS2 Community Health Information System Guidelines” by the Health Data Collaborative, Akros and the University of Oslo collaborated on a DHIS2-based information system for Water and sanitation that was featured for its focus on transition to the Zambian government, its unique moible-to-web application, and its use of automated feedback loops (page 164).
[icon]icon-book[/icon] Read the full report here.
