Setting New Standards for Transparency & Accountability: Using Mobile Technology for Data Collection and Mapping of Malaria Net Distributions in DRC

Purpose

Malaria kills an estimated 500 people per day in DRC. Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINS) can drastically reduce transmission. IMA’s DFID-funded Access to Primary Healthcare (ASSP) project decreases malaria-related morbidity and mortality by distributing LLINs. ASSP seeks to achieve 90% coverage within 9 health zones.

Data

A network of 4,000 community volunteers (RECOs) surveyed every household in all 9 health zones using smartphones with Open Data Kit (ODK) Software. The goal is to increase transparency so that DFID was assured that the LLINs went to intended beneficiaries. 

Methods

IMA developed the Hang Up and Track (HUT) strategy. ODK was used to capture key information including the number of LLINs needed, demographics and disease prevalence data, and to capture geographic coordinates and photos of every LLIN  hung. RECOs hung LLINs in all sleeping spaces previously, then, took a picture of the recipient and the LLIN installed. IMA is currently developing an interactive map using Google’s Fusion Tables application for further LLIN coverage and mapping and analysis.

Results

Initial findings demonstrate that IMA successfully hung over 620,000 LLINs in West Kasai Province, substantially increasing LLIN coverage from 2% at baseline to 98%.

Recommendations

IMA recommends implementers adapt HUT strategy for LLIN distribution to track whether nets reach beneficiaries and are hung properly in high prevalence malaria settings. Although a large upfront purchase of smartphones is required, ODK software significantly reduces time and money spent on outcome data analysis. Capturing GPS coordinates by phone is also very useful in countries with limited availability of accurate maps.