Digitizing Health Campaigns Improves Outcomes

Based on CRS Benin’s support to the Ministry of Health to digitize successive ITN, SMC, and Onchocerciasis campaigns, this learning brief describes what is needed to ensure that digitization investments are optimally leveraged.  While the success of a one-off campaign is often measured by more people receiving services with greater quality, the true success of a digitization effort emerges when the health system leverages the data and new processes for continued improvements in the campaign and beyond. A well-executed campaign digitization will be the springboard for more data-driven decision-making and more efficient health systems management. In this learning brief, we propose a set of multi-dimensional pillars for campaign digitization efforts to achieve improved health outcomes, even beyond the campaign’s scope. CRS proposes that digitization efforts need six core elements to generate optimal benefits to the health system, including: 1) local ownership; 2) partnership; 3) alignment to health system; 4) adapted technology; 5) support for data use; and 6) change management.