Underserved Ugandans to access healthcare through digital solutions

DIGITAL   HEALTH

KAMPALA - After achieving remarkable progress in the financial inclusion space using digital tools, Uganda has widened the scope to the health sector; where it seeks to improve healthcare services.

As the financial inclusion journey has been majorly facilitated by financial technology companies (Fintechs) such as mobile money, the health sector is taking a similar route, where the medical technology companies (Meditechs) are being fronted as change agents.

Two health digital solutions aimed at improving access to healthcare, especially in rural Uganda, have been launched.

The Village Digital Health Reporting service and the digital inventory management platform for the medical supply chain were developed and will be rolled out with funding from the Swedish government. They were launched by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), in collaboration with the health ministry in Kampala on Tuesday.

The Village Digital Health Reporting service, which was developed in collaboration with Brac Uganda and Medic Mobile, will digitise the reporting system used by community healthcare volunteers to improve access to primary healthcare and referral of patients to health facilities.

The digital inventory management platform for the medical supply chain, on the other hand, is developed by Medical Access Uganda and Signalytic.

It is expected to provide end-to-end visibility of data on management of essential drugs and medical supplies making the supply chains more agile and reduce stock-outs.

The solutions will be piloted in selected districts of northern Uganda and Kiryandongo, which are the most underserved in the country. 

Speaking during the launch recently, the UNCDF digital country lead in Uganda, Chris Lukolyo, said the interventions were part of a wider strategy of "leaving no one behind in the digital era". It is geared towards empowering at least one million Ugandans to access and use digital services daily to improve their livelihoods.

He said while the use of digital technologies in the health sector has demonstrated potential for improving health outcomes worldwide, some communities with fragile health systems are at risk of being left behind.

"Now, more than ever, the world needs to be cognisant of the imminent widening of the digital divide when it comes to the opportunities that digital solutions present in addressing day-today challenges. Fostering an inclusive digital economy that leaves no one behind is a crucial component of our work," Lukolyo said.

How it works

The solutions will change systems from being people-based to electronic-based, according to the health ministry officials.

This means that every time a drug leaves the store, it will be updated in the system, which will provide visibility to the district health officers and the central warehouse. 

They said this will ensure effective management of the supply chain by pushing the right amount of drugs from the central location to the recipient health facility.

It is also expected to improve the stock management of essential medicine supplies and ensure that quality healthcare reaches everyone.

The director of clinical services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Charles Olaro, also said digital health can help improve health service delivery by simplifying procedures, enhancing transparency and accountability and information and services to all stakeholders in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Dr Olaro added that the solutions will help the ministry to plan better and curb aspects of expiry of drugs, which has been a major challenge.

He said the solutions will also help in information systems management, as the Government offers a number of services at community level where there has not been any form of reporting happening.

"We will build on this to be able to report on all community health services which are done by the community health facilities," Dr Olaro said.

The Brac Uganda country director, Dr George Owuor Matete, said: "Brac is focused on digitisation, integration, building resilience and sustainable technology that will enhance the speed and accuracy of our decisions in the health service delivery and make impactful decisions that reach households at the last mile."

Josh Nesbit, the Medic Mobile chief executive officer, said the digital era provides an opportunity for stakeholders to look again at how healthcare systems are designed and health workers are supported.

He said there was need to put new infrastructure and tools in place to work for and with communities and ensure that quality care reaches everyone.

The Medical Access Uganda director of technical operations, Ashraf Kasujja, said the consortium is committed to support all stakeholders to improve stock management of essential medicine supplies.