WASHINGTON, D.C. – In developing countries, it remains a significant challenge to document the births and deaths of individuals. Approximately 40 million people are born or die every year without any officially documented record. To count people, and to record these simple statistics means that health data can be documented in a manner that aids decision-making in day-to-day operations. And, as the ever-expanding capability of mobile technology continues to spread into developing world, its most potent uses can be harnessed to help solve this problem of human documentation.
Magpi, developed by DataDyne, is a data collection system in the international development sector, and currently operates in more than 170 countries. With users including the World Bank, the World Heath Organization and the Red Cross among others, it provides a platform from which users can collect and collate data in an array of sectors, including agriculture, education, conservation, commerce, and of course health. The application is designed to be easy to use, and follows the ‘freemium’ concept; the basic service is free, and a more customized service comes with a charge. It operates on the whole spectrum of mobile devices; from an iPhone to a handset that can only send data via text messages.
In developing countries, Magpi has the potential to replace paper forms when collecting data, monitoring health coverage and managing stocks. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) uses the application on anywhere between 40 and 60 projects at a time. The first project using Magpi was in Sierra Leone in 2011; they provided community case management program health workers with basic Nokia mobile devices, with which they provided weekly birth and infant mortality statistics from their practice. The IRC have since expanded the project to the Congo, Liberia and Somalia. Paul Amendola, the technical advisor for health information systems at the IRC, said, “Real time reporting allows us to observe mortality trends and to respond immediately. We are able to get real time valid data in from rural far flung places with very little work to get it.”
While underdeveloped infrastructure in developing countries can at times hinder the use of mobile phones – the lack of outlets to charge phones and unreliable mobile coverage can be problematic – solutions can usually be found and data collected digitally. Looking to the future, the success of Magpi will depend on the willingness of NGOs and government organizations to opt for more non-traditional solutions to development issues. Installing faith in relatively new software options, such as Magpi, will allow these organizations to better understand the populations they work with, and more effectively measure the impact of what they do.
– Chloe Isacke
Sources: The Guardian, DataDyne
Photo: World Bank