Abstract:

A multitude of interventions to facilitate the management of the SARS-CoV-2 have been developed since the outbreak of the pandemic. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have played a major role in improving the global management of the pandemic. Different ICT health-based innovations; cloud computing, web and mobile applications are used by proactive governments to fight COVID-19. Contact tracing is one of the mobile apps that is currently used in more than 100 countries. Unfortunately, no accurate data to what extent these technologies are integrated in the communities in Uganda is currently available.

The purpose of this study therefore is to determine the efficacy of COVID-19 surveillance applications in Uganda, ultimately leading to a health-based ICT framework for monitoring pandemics in the community. The mixed methods study will employ both interviews and focus group discussions. The focus group will include members of the COVID-19 task force committee at National, District, Sub-county and village health teams. The study is expected to generate up to date knowledge on health-based ICT innovations developed to mitigate the COVID -19 pandemic in Uganda, the effectiveness of these health-based ICT innovations, rate of adoption and integration of the health-based ICT innovations in community and the drivers and barriers of adopting these surveillance applications. In addition to skills transfer from Austrian to Ugandan researchers during this project, strengthening of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research cooperation between Austria and Uganda will lay a strong foundation for future collaborative research. Finally, this project is in concordance with several of UN’s SDGs.