COVID-19 response in low- and middle-income countries: don’t overlook the role of mobile phone communication

Verhagen, Lilly M.; de Groot, R.; Lawrence, C.A.; Taljaard, J.; Cotton, M.F.; Rabie, H.

Estimates of health capacities in the context of the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic indicate that most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are not operationally ready to manage this health emergency. Motivated by worldwide successes in other infectious disease epidemics and our experience in sub-Saharan Africa, we support mobile phone communication to improve data collection and reporting, communication between healthcare workers, public health institutions and patients and implementation of disease tracking and subsequent risk-stratified isolation measures. Programmatic action is needed for centrally coordinated reporting and communication systems facilitating mobile phones in crisis management plans for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs. We summarize examples of worldwide mobile phone technology initiatives that enhanced patient care and public health outcome in previous epidemics and the current COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we provide an overview of baseline conditions, including transparency about privacy guarantees, necessary for the successful use of mobile phones in assisting in the fight against COVID-19 spread.