Disease Surveillance and Monitoring in the Philippines: Building resilience through mobile and digital technologies

A report on disease surveillance in the Philippines highlights digital interventions’ importance for improving data quality. Key stakeholders like the government, mobile network operators, and digital solution providers are encouraged to collaborate for innovation. Recommendations include enhancing data governance, expanding network coverage, and prioritizing people-centered design. International donor organizations are advised to support capacity building and coordinate efforts to avoid duplication.

GSMA published a report that assesses the gaps in disease surveillance and monitoring (DSM) systems in the Philippines and identifies examples and best practices of digital interventions, leveraged in both low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and more advanced economies. The report also highlights enablers for digital inclusion in the country and provides specific recommendations for key stakeholders, including government agencies, MNOs, innovators, and donor organisations. Additionally, it provides recommendations for each stakeholder to address barriers to digital innovation that will require effective and genuine cross-sector collaboration and coordination at national, regional, and local levels.

  • The national government should encourage and facilitate the use of digital innovation and leverage it to improve the availability and quality of data. It should create an enabling environment for digital innovation by improving data governance and establishing mechanisms for data privacy. Building public health employees’ capacity and the population’s digital skills should also be a key priority.
  • Mobile network operators (MNOs) need to continue to expand network coverage, improve connectivity and identify opportunities for public-private data sharing partnerships to enable insightful analysis. They should also support their customers to access information and disseminate it in an inclusive way.
  • Digital solution providers should complement existing government platforms, build partnerships and take an inclusive approach to ensure people-centered design.
  • International donor organisations have an essential role to play in supporting the government and digital innovators with capacity building and technical assistance. Coordinating with the development community will be important to avoiding duplication of efforts.