African Health Informatics (Clinical focus) | 21 August 2000
Digital Health Platforms in Malaria Surveillance: Adoption Among Madagascar Communities
N, i, c, o, l, a, s, R, a, k, o, t, o, z, a, n, d, r, i, s, a, i, v, o, a, n, a, ,, A, n, t, o, n, y, R, a, s, o, a, h, a, n, t, i, n, a, m, a, m, p, i, a, r, a, m, a, n, a, r, i, v, o
Abstract
Malaria remains a significant public health issue in Madagascar, necessitating effective surveillance methods. A mixed-methods approach including surveys and focus group discussions was employed to assess community acceptance and usage patterns of digital health platforms, while also evaluating data quality and reliability. Community members reported a moderate level (56%) of adoption for malaria surveillance through digital platforms, with concerns over privacy and technical issues being the primary barriers. Data integrity challenges were noted in terms of consistency across reporting systems. Digital health platforms show promise as tools for improving malaria surveillance in Madagascar communities but face significant implementation hurdles related to user trust and data interoperability. Communities should be educated on digital platform benefits, while policymakers need to address technical and privacy concerns through standardization efforts. Data quality initiatives are also essential to ensure effective surveillance outcomes. Digital Health Platforms, Malaria Surveillance, Community Acceptance, Data Integrity Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.