Practical Insights on COVID-19 Digital Response

usaid covid response

USAID and CDC are mobilizing the international development community to respond to the coronavirus threat in developing countries. Hospitals, clinics, and front line health workers in all healthcare facilities are getting grant funding investments from donors including Gates Foundation and DFID to mount a successful COVID-19 Digital Response and contain the global infectious disease epidemic.

COVID-19 Response Digital Health Solutions

Digital health technology is integral to COVID-19 digital response by government Ministries of Health in low- and middle income countries. We developed several lists of potential eHealth and mHealth applications to support this effort:

We have additional resources planned to guide global health implementing partners and humanitarian response organizations as they develop rapid response interventions to reduce COVID-19 impact on LMICs.

COVID-19 Digital Response Workshop

We convened a special COVID-19 Response Workshop with over 300 donor, government, and health workers who are exploring how digital development practitioners can support LIMC governments, their healthcare systems, and frontline health workers.

Our interactive workshop started with an update on COVID-19 and coronavirus infections, including the latest information on how its spreading and what’s effective in reducing its impact. We heard from government health experts in LMICs on what national health systems are doing to prepare and mitigate COVID-19 impact. We also revisited lessons learned from the West African Ebola response.

Next we broke into small working groups to explore the challenges in responding to coronavirus, and identify use cases where digital development solutions like these can be utilized in COVID digital response. Finally, we heard from solution providers on key disease response innovations, and wrapped up with ideas on the way forward.

More COVID Digital Response Resources

As epidemic control moves into the COVAX stage, we are exploring how Digital Yellow Card Certificates can track who has COVID-19 immunity and when inclusive digital design will ensure digital privacy and security as we build out edutech, agritech, and digital health solutions for COVID-19 Digital Response. Read on for more informatics responses to this enduring pandemic.

5 Lessons Learned Managing COVID-19 Grant Applications in South Africa

5 Lessons Learned Managing COVID-19 Grant Applications in South Africa

Published on: Dec 17 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on 5 Lessons Learned Managing COVID-19 Grant Applications in South Africa
Kwantu was working closely with the Free State Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) when COVID-19 hit South Africa. The...
New UNESCO Report: How to Deploy EduTech in Post-COVID‐19 Schools

New UNESCO Report: How to Deploy EduTech in Post-COVID‐19 Schools

Published on: Dec 16 2020 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
The COVID-19 digital response has shown the huge potential of educational technologies to support better and more extensive education and learning. However, it...
Why Google and Apple Failed at COVID-19 Digital Response

Why Google and Apple Failed at COVID-19 Digital Response

Published on: Dec 10 2020 by Wayan Vota - 6 Comments
Back in April 2020, Apple and Google announced COVID-19 contact tracing technology for iPhone and Android mobile phones. At our Global Digital Health Forum session...
How Will Digital Yellow Card Certificates Track COVID-19 Immunizations?

How Will Digital Yellow Card Certificates Track COVID-19 Immunizations?

Published on: Dec 03 2020 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on How Will Digital Yellow Card Certificates Track COVID-19 Immunizations?
We can finally foresee the end of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Global pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines for COVID-19. Soon, there will be widespread...
How to Design Inclusive Digital Programming in International Development

How to Design Inclusive Digital Programming in International Development

Published on: Nov 18 2020 by Josh Woodard - 1 Comment
The coronavirus pandemic is creating rapid and dramatic shifts in the global economy and how business is transacted. This disruption is fueling fast-paced innovation...
Apply Now: £50,000 EduTech Research Grants for COVID-19 Response

Apply Now: £50,000 EduTech Research Grants for COVID-19 Response

Published on: Nov 16 2020 by Wayan Vota - 9 Comments
Coronavirus related school closures have affected 90% of the world’s student population. EduTech solutions can support educational outcomes for children and Many...
5 Lessons Learned Using Digital Financial Services for COVID-19 Relief

5 Lessons Learned Using Digital Financial Services for COVID-19 Relief

Published on: Nov 12 2020 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on 5 Lessons Learned Using Digital Financial Services for COVID-19 Relief
Many countries have launched unprecedented relief packages to cushion the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information is still limited on how...
How to Protect Digital Privacy and Security During COVID-19 Response

How to Protect Digital Privacy and Security During COVID-19 Response

Published on: Oct 14 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on How to Protect Digital Privacy and Security During COVID-19 Response
What do cyber-attacks, virtual learning platforms, and the spread of misinformation online have in common? All have seen substantial spikes over the past four...
Apply Now: Startup Funding for Women-Led Digital Health Businesses

Apply Now: Startup Funding for Women-Led Digital Health Businesses

Published on: Oct 12 2020 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
Strong health systems that can withstand global health crisis harness the best expertise, diverse perspectives in decision making, and are built on gender equality. Sign...
How to Use Digital Payments During COVID-19 Response

How to Use Digital Payments During COVID-19 Response

Published on: Oct 07 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on How to Use Digital Payments During COVID-19 Response
The pandemic is affecting the way people interact with money; how much we spend, what we buy, and whether to opt for digital payments. In the US the switch to digital...