In this news roundup, we take a look at how innovation doesn't necessarily require the latest technologies to make a dramatic impact.
For Dr. Orin Levine, Director of Vaccine Delivery for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, innovation doesn’t necessarily have to require the latest technology. In Betting on Better Data, he takes a look at how PATH‘s Better Immunisation Data (BID) Initiative is tracking vaccine data with low-level tech in a revolutionary way.
In his piece, Dr. Levine takes a look at how tracking data more effectively can help combat the challenges faced in changing the rate at which children are immunised across Africa—not only to get more children immunised, but to also help find new ways to maximise donor investments in vaccines.
Low-tech innovation can drastically change the quality of the data collected, particularly as it aids a shift away data collected from notes scribbled down by overburdened health workers. Better data collection results in better analysis—something the BID Initiative is working hard to tackle in the Arusha region of Tanzania. In addition, Dr. Levine found other ways in which these low-tech innovations are making a vast difference:
- Country-owned, country-led solutions will lead to long-term improvements.
- BID emphasises process innovation, not technology innovation.
- Improvements that enable better immunisation data can improve other health programs.
Find out more about how the BID initiative are using technologies like WhatsApp to dramatically influence the process by checking out the original article on the Huffington Post!
Be sure to check out ‘Betting on Better Data’ on the Huffington Post, and to follow Orin Levine on Twitter at @OrinLevine.