Monitoring Mass Drug AdministrationmHealth in CameroonAlong with the Neglected Tropical Diseases Unit of the Ministry of Public Health,Sightsavers set up a mobile Mass Drug Administration (MDA) data collection andmonitoring system in 2014. Data was collected during the onchocerciasis/lymphaticfilariasis MDA in 10 districts covering 74 health facilities in the Southwest region.

Monitoring System

Information on 951,511 people and 777,631 treatments came in via SMS. Field teams were able to monitor MDA as ithappened, completely transforming the way they worked. Instead of the project sending treatments based on the

previous year’s census, the census was done first, and utilizing online reports the appropriate amount of medication wassent to each community. During both the census and treatment District Managers were able to monitor how close each

community was to their target number, calling or visiting problem areas.

Distributors bring theirregisters to Health

Facilities weekly

Chiefs of Center verifydata, aggregate, and

send via SMS

Health District DataManagers monitor data

and take action

Regional and NationalNTDs Coordinatorsmonitor progress

Cut downtime spentby 1/3

Faster MDA

6.7%treatmentincrease

100% datafor regionalmeeting

More treatments

$68k saved on drugs &monitoring

ImpactImproved decision

making

Census and treatmentlasted for only twomonths compared to thecontrol area where theentire process took threemonths.

Money saved

The mHealth area sawa 10.2% increase intreatments distributedover the previous year; the non-mHealth controlarea saw a 3.5% increase.

In the control area, only55% of data was available.In addition, 90% of datawas available for districtappraisals compared to40% in the control area.

$13,500 was spent onmonitoring in 2014compared to $31,000 in2013; tablet loss reducedfrom 28,385 in 2013 to8,532 in 2014.

TechnologyThe SMS for Life platform in Cameroon was set up by the NationalMalaria Control Programme (NMCP) in 2013 and later joined bySightsavers’ NTDs program. The program now embraces a varietyof partners in a public-private initiative, including the NMCP,Clinton Health Access Initiative, UN Population Fund, GIZ, NorthAmerican Aerospace Defense Command, MTN, Malaria No More,Novartis, and Sightsavers.

Greenmash’s mango platform is the technical backbone behindSMS for Life. Cloud-based mango accepts data throughsmartphones, SMS, USSD and web, with data available in onlinereports, by email, and as text reminders.

Censused(M/F) Treated(M/F)Adverse effects (M/F)Refusals (M/F)

Scale upBy the end of 2016, 580 healthfacilities in 57 health districts will bemonitored by Sightsavers usingmHealth tools.

The platform is also available toother organizations working onNTDs in Cameroon.

Sightsaverspresent, but no

MDAs done

2015scale up

2016scale up

Keys to SuccessImmediately incentivizing Health Facility Workers. In the Cameroonprogram, data uploaders automatically receive an incentive of airtime oncethey’ve sent in.

Having a strong technology partner. Greenmash negotiated shortcodesand rates with mobile operators, helped with platform setup and led usertrainings.

Creating enthusiasm in country. The team transferred their excitementabout the benefits of the system – starting with the MoH and going all theway down to the Community Directed Distributors.

for more information contact Sarah Bartlett, mHealth advisor for Sightsavers, atsbartlett@sightsavers.org