Mozambique has made history by becoming the first African country to fully digitalise its malaria campaigns, a move that is transforming disease control efforts through real-time data collection and analysis.
The country’s Ministry of Health faced challenges in managing large volumes of malaria data, which previously slowed response times due to manual record-keeping and fragmented reporting structures.
In response, the government created the Integrated Malaria Information System in 2022, which centralised various data sources into a user-friendly dashboard.
By 2023, Mozambique digitalised all three major malaria campaigns – involving mosquito net distribution, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, and indoor residual spraying – allowing health officials to track coverage, performance and stock levels instantly.
As a result, campaign durations have been reduced from up to 14 days to just five.
“We analyse data and know what’s happening in real time,” said Baltazar Candrinho, director of the National Malaria Control Programme in Mozambique’s Ministry of Health.
“We no longer need to wait for someone to report a problem days later. We can track coverage and team performance and monitor stock levels. If a village hasn’t received nets or hasn’t been reached, we know exactly where it is using GPS.”
The Ministry of Health has trained staff across all 11 provinces, ensuring community distributors can conduct digital data collection efficiently.
Mozambique’s leadership in malaria digitalisation sets a benchmark for regional health innovation, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) looking to replicate the model in other African nations.
“As we implement the project on advancing development of national malaria data repositories, Mozambique will provide valuable lessons and best practices, guiding what worked and why as we scale to other countries”, said Lawrence Kazembe, team leader for Precision Public Health Programme at the WHO Regional Office for Africa who is implementing similar innovations in other African countries.
Malaria remains endemic in Mozambique, which reported over 11 million cases in 2024.
The country’s digital approach is expected to enhance understanding of malaria mortality patterns while improving resource allocation and health outcomes.
JN/APA