Collection of community-based data key to achieving universal health coverage by 2030 —Govt

Government says the collection of community-based data using digital enhanced tools will help scale up the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage Agenda by the year 2030.

Out-going Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary in-charge of Technical Services, Lackson Kasonka, said technological innovations used to collect community data will not only be helpful in identifying existing gaps and barriers related to Covid-19 and other disease outbreaks but that will also improve health outcomes.

Kasonka further noted that digital platforms will enhance real time data collection from the communities and that will act as a driver to the formulation of new strategies.

He also affirmed government’s gratitude for choosing Zambia for the pilot project by the African Field Epidemiology Network-AFENET.

Kasonka made the remarks in Lusaka on Saturday in a speech read for him by Ministry Director for Clinical and Diagnostic Services, Alex Makupe, during the project kick-off and stakeholders meeting on Behavioral and Social Drivers (BeSD) of Vaccination in Zambia.

Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) Director General, Roma Chilengi, said
government has placed disease prevention high on the agenda as a highlighted key priority in the National Health Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2026.

Chilengi thanked AFENET for the technical support adding that it will enable the real time data collection from the communities on various disease outbreaks and vaccinations using short message service (SMS) as well as WhatsApp among others.

He said in a speech read for him by ZNPHI Director-Public Health Policy, Diplomacy and Communications Mazyanga Liwewe.

Meanwhile, AFENET Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Jacob Bibohere, said the digital community data collection will inform future strategies that will seek to adapt packages and messages that are responsive to social and cultural factors.

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