Empowering Health Campaigns: ESPEN Collect's Impact at the Campaign Digitalization Meeting

ESPEN Collect, the innovative and free mobile data collection tool developed by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO), recently demonstrated its pivotal role in guiding programs for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) at the Campaign Digitalization Meeting organized by the Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP) in Nairobi, Kenya.

During discussions about malaria campaign digitalization, NTDs, and immunization, ESPEN Collect stood out as a prime example of tailored expertise in digital health. Designed to improve data collection for diseases such as Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, and Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis, ESPEN Collect was praised among partners for its practical effectiveness in enhancing data collection processes for PC-NTDs.

Participation in the Campaign Digitalization Meeting provided WHO AFRO with a platform to showcase ESPEN Collect significance in the African region, highlighting its innovative contributions in the fight against NTDs. The event also facilitated exploring the integration of ESPEN Collect with other digital platforms and health information systems, fostering collaboration to improve data sharing and accessibility. Dyesse YUMBA NDUBA, ESPEN Collect Project Officer, shared a compelling presentation that underscored ESPEN Collect's success stories and potential impact on health campaigns, emphasizing its role in expediting progress towards eliminating and controlling NTDs through comprehensive support services for regional surveys.

The meeting served as a forum for diverse stakeholders to share experiences and tools for digitizing campaigns. From these discussions, several recommendations and follow-up points emerged, encouraging knowledge sharing among disease programs, advocating for comprehensive digitalization tools, and raising awareness about ESPEN Collect's unique contributions were highlighted as key priorities moving forward.

Moving forward, ESPEN Collect remains committed to enhancing health campaigns through digitalization. By leveraging innovative technologies and fostering collaborative partnerships, ESPEN Collect continues to empower countries in their efforts to combat NTDs and improve global health outcomes.