Archive for category: Technology

Information and stories about technology news.

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Internet Access in Nigeria: The Evolving Landscape

Internet access in nigeriaInternet access in Nigeria is experiencing significant growth, with more than half of the population now connected. However, a notable digital divide persists between urban and rural areas. Mobile devices serve as the primary means through which Nigerians access the internet. Despite high penetration rates, affordability, availability and service quality challenges hinder broader access.

In 2024, despite substantial investments in Nigeria and other regions of Africa, only 38% of the population was online. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) reported that Africa ranked the lowest in global internet usage, starkly contrasting the global average of 68%. The ITU highlighted that while internet adoption in Africa is on the rise, millions remain offline due to high service costs, digital illiteracy and inadequate infrastructure, particularly in rural communities.

Current Internet Landscape

As of April 2025, Nigeria’s internet landscape boasts approximately 142 million subscribers, with broadband penetration reaching 48.15%. Internet usage has surged to 983,283.43 terabytes (TB). In January 2025, there were 141 million internet subscribers and a broadband penetration rate of 45.61%. These statistics underscore Nigeria’s expanding digital footprint and the increasing demand for internet services.

Furthermore, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecommunications regulator, 141.2 million mobile connections were recorded as of April 2025. The market share by generation indicates that 89% of the country’s connectivity still relies on 2G and 4G technologies.

Affordability of Internet Access in Nigeria

The cost of internet access poses a significant barrier for many Nigerians, affecting both individual users and businesses. According to a report by ITU, affordability remains a critical obstacle to achieving broader digital inclusion.

The ITU highlighted that in 2024, the median price of an entry-level mobile broadband plan (2GB per month) was 4.2% of the gross national income (GNI) per capita, a slight decrease from 4.6% in 2023. However, this figure is still more than double the United Nations Broadband Commission’s affordability target of 2%, making it the highest among all ITU regions.

Government and Private Initiatives

In response to these challenges, the government and the private sector invest in infrastructure and initiatives to enhance internet access and affordability. One notable initiative is Project 774 LG Connectivity, which focuses on bridging the digital divide across local governments in Nigeria. Spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, this project leverages NIGCOMSAT’s VSAT technology to provide reliable internet access in Nigeria.

The initiative aims to improve e-governance, education, health care, security and economic opportunities at the grassroots level by ensuring that communities can access affordable Internet services. The National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) also sets ambitious targets for internet penetration and affordability, aiming to achieve 70% broadband penetration by 2025.

In January 2025, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) revealed that about 27 million Nigerians have no access to telecom infrastructure, excluding those who can’t afford it. CITAD launched the Dakwa Community Hub in the rural area of Abuja to enable access to the internet in the community and online educational opportunities to about 50% of Nigerians who lack access.

– Damilola Bukola Omokanye

Damilola is based in Abuja, Nigeria and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Water Purification in Developing Countries: 5 Techniques

Water Purification in Developing CountriesIn 2025, approximately 2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water worldwide. Three criteria determine clean water access: water must be located at home, available when needed and free from contamination. Many families spend dozens of hours per week collecting water. In particular, women often travel long distances to collect water for their households. Collection locations do not always guarantee uncontaminated water.

Drinking contaminated water can spread disease and may be fatal for entire households. Fortunately, nonprofit aid organizations such as the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Vision and Water.org are implementing various water purification methods in developing countries. Decontamination technology, water infrastructure and sanitation education are vital resources in making safe water accessible to all. 

Methods That Make Local Water Safe to Drink

To make clean drinking water accessible, solutions rely on local water sources. Unfortunately, streams, rivers and lakes are often contaminated. Below are several methods used for water purification in developing countries.  

  1. Membrane Separation Technology. Reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration are the two most commonly used membrane separation techniques. Membrane separation uses high pressure to filter water through a porous wall. The permeable barrier prevents bacteria, pathogens and chemicals from passing, only allowing clean water through. Membrane separation technology is versatile and requires little maintenance, making it ideal for rural communities. Membrane separation is especially useful in preventing waterborne illnesses. 
  2. Chlorination. Water chlorination disinfects lakes, rivers and groundwater by adding a sodium hypochlorite solution to contaminated water, effectively killing bacteria and viruses. It is inexpensive, but excessive chlorine intake may pose health risks if used as a sole solution. 
  3. Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS). Solar water disinfection treatment uses ultraviolet rays to kill waterborne bacteria. It is inexpensive and ideal in circumstances where resources are scarce. Families fill 2-litre polyethylene terephthalate bottles with local water and lay them in the sun for six hours. SODIS is primarily valuable for household use, as it disinfects only small amounts of water at a time.  
  4. Filtration Systems. Biosand Water Filtration (BSF) is an inexpensive household filter, making water purification in developing countries domestically accessible. BSF consists of a large container with layers of washed sand and gravel. Local water is poured over the container. The sediment acts as a filter, trapping 90% of bacteria and 100% of parasites, which allows safe drinking water to flow through. 
  5. Wells and Aquifers. Digging wells is a common strategy for improving access to clean water in developing countries. Wells are either hand-dug or drilled underground and pipelines connected to a large pump draw groundwater from a local aquifer. Although wells are a more expensive solution, they can effectively supply water to an entire community.

Long-Term Solutions

Water infrastructure is essential for making clean water widely accessible. Treatment centers, pipelines and pumping networks help distribute decontaminated water over long distances. In Juba, South Sudan, UNICEF’s 2017 Lologo project established a water treatment plant that draws water from the Nile River, decontaminates it and pumps it throughout Juba and local camps. This is one of many infrastructure projects launched globally to support water purification in developing countries.

UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program ensures schools educate students on hygienic toilet use and clean water maintenance. In Bangladesh’s largest refugee camp, Kutupalong, children ages 10 to 15 participate in World Water Day art competitions, drawing images reflecting the importance of clean water and sanitation. WASH workers hold hygiene awareness sessions for Rohingya refugees of all ages to attend. 

Looking Ahead

Water purification is a vital step toward poverty reduction. With continued investment in decontamination methods and infrastructure, access to clean water may soon become a reality for all.

– Helen Cusick

Helen is based in Minneapolis, MN, USA and focuses on Good Newsn and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Renewable Energy in Andorra

Renewable Energy in AndorraSettled in the Pyrenees, Andorra is embracing renewable energy, cutting its reliance on imports and decreasing energy poverty. Using solar, hydropower and biomass, the nation is balancing sustainable growth, lowering costs and improving access.

Energy Poverty in Andorra

In Andorra, energy poverty disproportionately affects low-income households, struggling with high energy costs that limit essential needs, including heating and cooking. If Andorra follows similar European patterns, high energy costs affect roughly 7-10% of households. However, due to Andorra’s investment in renewable resources, these struggles are becoming less prevalent, ensuring long-term affordability and stability.

By transitioning to renewable energy, Andorra is able to lower costs with increased local energy production. This reduces dependence on imports, making electricity more affordable. Currently, renewable energy accounts for 23% of the country’s total supply.

Types of Renewable Energy

Andorra’s mountainous landscape makes it well suited for hydropower, supplying 15% of its energy needs through small hydroplants and run-of-river projects. At the same time, its abundant sunlight supports solar farms and rooftop panels with incentives like improved storage and solar-powered EV charging growth of clean energy. These incentives and projects help improve access and ensure more households have reliable energy.

Even with limited development in Andorra’s wind power, it is still another reliable renewable resource. Wind power helps address energy poverty in many ways. By generating electricity locally, wind power helps stabilize prices, provides more reliable electricity in remote areas and reduces dependence on fossil fuels, lowering environmental impact and long-term energy costs.

Even though less advanced than solar power, hydropower, wind power and biomass is becoming increasingly recognized as a viable renewable resource. Biomass helps alleviate energy poverty in many ways. Furthermore, it improves energy access, such as wood crop residues and animal waste, for cooking and heating. It also reduces costs, because biomass can be locally sourced, which reduces dependence on expensive imported fuels. It also creates jobs in agriculture, forestry and energy production.

Employment in Renewable Energy

Andorra has a low unemployment rate of 2.4% in 2025, which is significantly below the EU average. The shift to renewable resources will expand employment opportunities. For instance, to install solar panels, wind turbines and hydropower engines, installation and maintenance work will be needed. For innovations in energy storage and grid optimization, workers will be needed for research and development. Lastly, for helping businesses transition to greener energy solutions, people will be needed for consulting.

Andorra’s Efforts Towards Renewable Energy

Andorra has also put in efforts to encourage sustainable energy adoption by implementing energy efficiency subsidies, helping households and businesses transition to cleaner power sources. These grants cover up to 30-40% of the cost for upgrades like solar panels, biomass systems and arethermal technologies, making renewable energy more accessible and affordable.

Andorra is leveraging renewable energy, ensuring equitable access to clean and affordable power. By expanding investments in solar, hydro, and wind energy, the country is reducing reliance on costly imports while making sustainable electricity more accessible to lower-income communities.

These initiatives not only promote environmental resilience but also enhance economic stability, proving that small nations can drive meaningful change in global energy equity. Andorra’s approach highlights how renewable resources can be harnessed to address affordability challenges and improve the quality of life for those in poverty.

– Karisma Polly

Karisma is based in Sunrise, FL, USA and focuses on Global Health and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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Using AI to Support Maternal Health in Pakistan

How A Scientist Is Using AI to Support Maternal Health in Pakistan Pakistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in South Asia. Despite being a signatory to Agenda 2030, the country still lags considerably behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Approximately 20% of the deaths that occur among women of childbearing age are related to maternal complications.

Dr. Maryam Mustafa, assistant professor of computer science at Lahore University of Management Sciences and co-founder of Awaaz-e-Sehat (“Voice of Health”), is harnessing speech-based artificial intelligence to revolutionize maternal health in Pakistan. Funded by the Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges, her AI app enables under-resourced frontline maternal health workers to record and assess patient information by talking into a smartphone.

Maternal Health Challenges in Rural Pakistan

Maternal health in Pakistan faces serious obstacles, especially in rural areas where women lack access to skilled care. Pakistan Maternal Mortality Survey 2019, conducted by the National Institute of Population Studies and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), reveals considerable demographic differences between rural and urban areas of Pakistan.

The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is nearly 26% higher in rural areas than in urban areas due to a major difference in health care services provided to people living in urban areas as compared to those living in distant regions. In addition, delays in medical care during obstetric complications are another factor that leads to maternal deaths. Every year, thousands of women die from causes like bleeding, infections and high blood pressure during pregnancy. In Pakistan, an estimated 154 women die per 100,000 live births. Globally, maternal mortality has decreased by approximately 40% since 2000; however, this progress has slowed.

How Awaaz-e-Sehat Works

In many clinics, doctors and nurses only have a few minutes to spend with each patient. Symptoms, like swelling, headaches or blurred vision, can go unnoticed. Awaaz-e-Sehat helps by guiding health workers through structured questions in Urdu or other local languages before digitally saving each response. The app also analyzes responses for warning signs, such as high blood pressure or anemia and sends automatic alerts if a patient is at risk. The tool was tested at Shalamar Hospital in Lahore, where it supported care for 500 pregnant women in its early phase.

Helping Women at Home

Not all women in Pakistan can regularly travel to clinics for checkups. To help bridge this gap, Awaaz-e-Sehat also works through WhatsApp. Pregnant women can respond to voice messages from home, answering simple health questions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) reviews their responses and if something seems wrong, a health worker receives a prompt to follow up.

Making a Difference

After several months of use, the Awaaz-e-Sehat team saw a clear improvement in early risk detection. The tool helped identify health concerns in about 40% of patients, compared to only 7% in traditional short visits, highlighting a notable step forward in maternal health in Pakistan.

What Comes Next

Dr. Mustafa and her team plan to expand Awaaz-e-Sehat across more clinics and provinces. By collaborating with hospitals, health organizations and the government, they aim to provide AI-powered support to a broader range of health workers and expectant mothers. Their goal is to help Pakistan reach the United Nation’s (U.N.) target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. 

– Anna Chiaradonna

Anna is based in Philadelphia, PA, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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bKash: Digital Financial Inclusion in Rural Bangladesh

bKashThe inclusion of rural and low-income groups in financial services has been a contentious area of long-term struggle for South Asian economies. However, Bangladesh’s utilization of homegrown fintech company “bKash” is fighting this stigma, revolutionizing digital financial inclusion where typical infrastructure is sparse to lift millions out of poverty.

Changing the System

Launched in 2011, bKash entered a market where most of Bangladesh’s population was unbanked and infrastructure was limited. At the time, cash transactions and informal loans were often the only options available. bKash set out with a clear mission: to expand financial access for the country’s low-income majority. The platform allows users to send and receive money, pay bills and top up mobile credit using their phones. It also provides access to microloans — all without needing a bank account, cash, or informal lenders.

The basic financial tools this system offered millions have impacted the reduction of poverty in the nation. The Bangladesh Bank states that services like bKash have helped boost the country’s financial inclusion rate from less than 50% in 2017 to more than 65% by 2022. The app has increased financial connections between economic centers and the rural majority, leading to a growing trend of urban-to-rural remittance and greater involvement of middle-income investors in agriculture businesses.

Reducing Poverty and Increasing Development

By 2021, the app’s rapid growth had transformed digital finance in Bangladesh. Nearly 45% of people aged 15 and above were making or receiving digital payments. bKash alone had reached 67 million verified users, more than 40% of the country’s population, marking a sharp increase from just 29 million users in 2017. This dramatic growth reflects the platform’s expanding role in national development, particularly providing digital financial inclusion to disconnected rural areas.

The World Bank has especially highlighted bKash’s instrumental role in helping Bangladesh achieve Lower Middle Income Country status in 2015. It also credits bKash with driving progress toward the nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

A 2020 report by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) further underscores the app’s wide-ranging impact. It highlights that digital financial services like bKash have directly contributed to increased household incomes, improved financial transparency and enhanced access to credit. By creating reliable financial records, bKash has enabled many users to become credit-worthy in the eyes of formal lenders, unlocking pathways to business growth, education and health care and setting the stage for sustainable, long-term poverty alleviation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangladeshi government expanded the importance of bKash national infrastructure and relief, leveraging the platform to distribute emergency funds directly to vulnerable and isolated groups. This further highlights the ability of digital financial services to transcend low economic activity and restricted mobility, ensuring that income reaches recipients efficiently and securely.

Looking Ahead

Despite its transformative impact, mobile banking in Bangladesh still faces challenges, chief among them a digital gender gap of women significantly less likely to own phones or access mobile internet. This disparity prevents many women from accessing the full benefits of the growing mobile banking infrastructure. Bridging the gap through targeted education, digital literacy and affordable mobile access is essential to achieving financial inclusion.

As Bangladesh advances, platforms like bKash will remain powerful tools for empowering the impoverished, building financial resilience and driving inclusive, sustainable growth, even in the most remote areas. With the growing use of smartphones nationwide, bKash will remain especially necessary for providing digital financial inclusion to those unable to access traditional services.

– Thomas Finighan

Thomas is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Radio and Public Health in Africa: Still a Critical Voice

radio and public health in africaInformation is power—especially when it comes to health. The problem is that reliable information is not always easy to come by. For example, as of 2024, internet penetration in Uganda is 27%. The main source of information for Ugandans is radio at 38%, including word of mouth at 21%, phone calls at 15% and television at 14%. When health concerns arise, the internet connects experts with new findings and patients with treatment paths—but it is not the only technology leading to healthy outcomes. As pandemics, stigma and misinformation continue to affect the global population, communities are shaping public health in Africa with the proven power of radio.

Engagement between Health Care Workers and the Public

Research in the medical field is always evolving, bringing new information to light surrounding important issues. Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust designed a participatory radio program Umoyo Nkukambirana or “Let’s Talk About Health,” which hosted medical researchers, presenting health topics and current research in Chichewa—the local language.

The radio would advertise the program in advance, encouraging listeners to raise questions via SMS text and local radio listening clubs with the researchers responding. Indeed, topics ranged from diabetes to vaccines, with roughly 500 citizens sending in questions, primarily from rural areas.

By creating a conversation and opening the floor to citizens without alternative access to information, engagement increased, and education followed.

Radio and Public Health in Africa during COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, community radios played a pivotal role in the spread of life-saving information. Koch FM from Kenya broadcasted public health advice along with songs advising people on preventative measures; Radio Dondo in Mozambique hosted debates, interviews, and reports on the ongoing crisis; and Argoba Community Radio in Ethiopia contributed to the fight against misinformation as it spread from social media channels.

Various global organizations noticed these actions, with UNESCO, the EU and the African Center for Disease Control partnering in 2022 to offer a program to four African regions and their community radio journalists. The program focused on research and presentation processes in journalism, with UNESCO stressing “the unique power of the radio in reaching the grassroot communities with the right information.”

Fighting Ebola Misinformation

Even as technologies improve across developing countries, radio can be seen as a well of historic information. In Uganda, AI is using this information to gain insight into public opinion and misinformation. In 2022, when the country declared an Ebola outbreak, polarizing discourse and misinformation followed. To learn about how public sentiment was being shaped, Jonathan Mukiibi at Makerere University developed a program that transcribed recordings from community radio shows, then analyzed them for data points. He sought to add the voices of those who did not have access to the internet. In a country where political parties are often viewed with distrust, many of the country’s inhabitants believed that the declared Ebola outbreak was just a political move to undermine the recently elected party. With the help of Mukiibi’s new program, policymakers could make better decisions in current and future outbreaks.

In an age increasingly defined by smartphones and the internet, the threads weaved between radio and public health in Africa continue to connect people effectively. This decades-old technology serves as a sturdy platform and a wellspring of data. When it comes to the health of the people, it does not matter how the information is getting out; it just matters that people receive it.

– Levi Ravnsborg

Levi is based in Summerland, BC, Canada and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Satellite Technology Combating Yemen’s Drought Crisis

Satellite Technology Combating Yemen’s Drought Crisis Years of conflict in Yemen have destroyed vital infrastructure, leaving 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid, including 15 million without reliable access to clean water. The severity of these conditions has raised the demand for innovative solutions such as satellite technology.

Satellite technology sparks hope as a pivotal tool in transforming humanitarian disasters, enabling remote sensing to monitor, assess and respond to water scarcity. It creates access to clean water through satellites capturing vital data on rainfall patterns, soil moisture and land use, providing updated insights in a country with limited on-the-ground access. Thus, integrating satellite technology to combat Yemen’s drought crisis could lay the groundwork for long-term resilience in one of the world’s most water-insecure regions. 

Yemen’s Ongoing Water Shortage

Yemen faces one of the most severe water crises worldwide, with groundwater depletion occurring at twice the natural recharge rate. The cultivation of Qat, which consumes more than 40% of the country’s renewable water resources and 32% of all groundwater withdrawals, is a major driver of the depletion. Nearly 17.8 million people lack access to safe water and adequate sanitation services. Conversely, the national water network reaches less than 30% of the population, forcing many, especially women and children, to walk long distances only to fetch water. Overall, this scarcity has triggered major health crises, including the worst cholera outbreak in modern history, with more than 2.5 million reported cases and at least 4,000 deaths since 2016.

The ongoing conflict and political instability have further exacerbated water access and management, as infrastructure deteriorates and institutional oversight weakens, aggravating the crisis of water scarcity and aridity. The International Committee of the Red Cross has responded to this issue by rehabilitating boreholes and water stations, allocating chlorine tablets and supplying more than 3 million liters of water with 17 generators to prisons, hospitals and water projects to help reduce waterborne disease outbreaks. Despite these critical interventions, the continuous droughts highlight a growing humanitarian call for global concern driven by environmental, social and political challenges that demand urgent, coordinated action through satellite technology to combat Yemen’s drought crisis.

Remote Sensing Water Displacement

Advancements in satellite technology are revolutionizing Yemen’s approach to managing its prolonged water crisis. With nearly 80% of the population requiring humanitarian aid, traditional methods of monitoring groundwater levels have become increasingly challenging due to ongoing conflict and infrastructure degradation. Remote sensing tools, such as the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land, have been pivotal in providing high-resolution data on evapotranspiration and irrigated areas, offering a comprehensive understanding of water usage. For instance, the Groundwater and Soil Conservation Project, founded in 2009, initiated implementing the use of satellite imagery to assess crop water consumption in areas such as Siham, Abiyan, Dhamar and Rada.

 The findings revealed that single-season crops, which constitute 76% of irrigated land, have a significantly higher evapotranspiration rate compared to rainfed crops, highlighting areas where water conservation efforts can be most effective. This data-driven technique, derived from the integration of satellite-based systems, enables real-time monitoring of groundwater recharge and abstraction rates, facilitating the identification of regions most at risk of depletion. This approach empowers local authorities and humanitarian agencies to plan targeted interventions, such as promoting water-efficient irrigation techniques and sustainable crop selection.

NGO Satellite Solutions

A consortium led by HR Wallingford is deploying an advanced satellite-based system to monitor Yemen’s groundwater remotely. Using data on rainfall and cropland, the system estimates groundwater recharge and usage in real-time, providing pivotal information to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) amid limited ground access due to conflict.

This technology overcomes traditional monitoring challenges by enabling continuous tracking of aquifer depletion and forecasting future water availability under climate change scenarios. It supports preventive measures such as early detection of shortages and promoting efficient irrigation and crop management to reduce water stress. NGOs utilize this data to target vulnerable communities, coordinate relief efforts and implement on-the-ground conservation programs.

By offering transparent, scalable monitoring, the system fosters collaboration between NGOs and international partners, enhancing Yemen’s capacity to manage its severe drought crisis effectively and ensure a more ecologically balanced future. 

What’s Next?

By providing a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of water resources, satellite technology plays a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of Yemen’s water crisis and steering the nation toward a more sustainable future.

– Hibah Iqbal

Hibah is based in Houston, TX, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Digital Birth Registration in Nigeria

Digital Birth Registration in NigeriaIn Nigeria, more than 50% of children under 5 years old remain unregistered at birth, leaving more than seven million children without legal identity or access to essential services. Without formal documentation, these children often cannot receive vaccinations, enroll in school or access societal protection programs. Birth registration is a fundamental right under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It plays a critical role in protecting children from trafficking, child labor and early marriage. However, digital birth registration in Nigeria is a powerful tool for addressing this gap.

In partnership with UNICEF and the National Population Commission (NPC), the Nigerian government has launched an ambitious initiative to digitize birth registration in Nigeria. It aims to do this through an integrated Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (e-CRVS) system. The program aims to register more than nine million under 5 children and five million infants using mobile devices and a cloud-based digital database.

How Digital Registration Works

The pilot phase of the e-CRVS program was active at test sites in Nasarawa, Lagos, Kano, Borno and Enugu states, where local health facilities and mobile teams register children at the point of care. Digital tables and software allow frontline workers to capture live birth data and instantly generate certificates. The system is linked to Nigeria’s National Identity Number (NIN) platform, operated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), ensuring each child receives a permanent identity number for life.

This integration allows public institutions to cross-reference birth records with healthcare, immunization and education systems. It also makes tracking child development easier, planning vaccine campaigns and ensuring social services reach the most vulnerable.

Health Benefits of Legal Identity

A legal identity is not just a certificate but a gateway to health equity. According to UNICEF, children enrolled through digital birth registration in Nigeria are more likely to be vaccinated, receive medical care earlier and attend school. In regions with low birth registration, health systems often struggle to track and follow up with children who miss vaccines or drop off routine care schedules.

Digital birth registration allows real-time data to be shared with national immunization registries, helping ministries of health identify gaps, forecast demand and avoid supply chain breakdowns. This is particularly crucial in rural areas where children are most at risk of preventable disease and malnutrition.

Supporting Sustainable Development Goals

Nigeria’s digital birth registration initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9, which calls for providing legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030. The initiative also contributes to broader SDGs focused on child health (SDG 3), inclusive education (SDG 4) and gender equality (SDG 5) by ensuring that girls and boys alike are counted and protected from birth.

Final Remarks

According to the latest edition of the ID4D Global Dataset, approximately 1.25 billion people do not have a digitally verifiable identity, primarily due to documentary requirements and distance to registration points. Many of these people reported the consequences following them into adulthood through financial and technological barriers. Nigeria’s scalable model could serve as a blueprint for other low and middle-income countries seeking to close the identity gap.

By digitizing birth registration, Nigeria is improving access to basic health and education services and restoring visibility, dignity and protection to millions of children who have long been left out of the system. As implementation continues, the program could reshape how governments track child welfare, deliver public services and uphold the rights of every child, starting from day one.

– Rebecca Lee

Rebecca is based in Scotland and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Fighting Diseases in Mozambique With an App

Diseases in MozambiqueMozambique, a country in southeastern Africa, has implemented a new digital system and app that helps community health workers in poor and rural areas fight diseases.

Community Health Workers in Mozambique

To ensure access to health care for everyone in the country, community health workers serve Mozambique’s more rural and impoverished areas. Community health workers diagnose and treat many diseases in Mozambique, including malaria, pneumonia, malnutrition and diarrhea.

They also provide family planning services, antenatal care, postpartum care and pregnancy tracking. Further, they give healthy children check-ups and follow-up care for patients with tuberculosis and HIV.

What is upSCALE?

upSCALE consists of two different applications. One is an app for supervisors of community health workers. The app allows them to monitor health care workers’ performance and monitor the stock levels of medical and health care supplies. It also allows them to schedule and follow up on supervisory visits.

The second application is designed for community health workers themselves. It features the Mozambique Ministry of Health’s official curriculum. It guides users through treatment, diagnosis, patient referrals, follow-ups, registration and routine health checks.

The program provides community health workers with mobile phones and supervisors with tablets to access the apps. Community health workers receive an initial five-day training on using the app, followed by a two-day refresher each year. Supervisors receive additional training tailored to their role. Between 2017 and 2022, the upSCALE app registered approximately 650,000 patients and supported health care services for more than 200,000.

How upSCALE Helps Fight Diseases in Mozambique

The app was originally developed to improve the quality and coverage of local health care. It aims to address community health workers’ inconsistent adherence to clinical guidelines and the inadequate supply of medications and health supplies. The app has largely been successful in both of these goals. By allowing supervisors to monitor the real-time stock of medication and health supplies, they can ensure that the stock never runs out.

Both apps have also helped the Ministry of Health fight diseases in Mozambique by giving the sector accurate and up-to-date information about the spread of diseases in the country. The information is also disease-specific, allowing the government to make informed decisions about community health interventions.

On a local level, the information enables supervisors to target their interventions and allocate resources more effectively. It has also been valuable for malaria treatment, helping to fill key knowledge gaps in malaria research.

Conclusion

The upSCALE app has proven to be a game-changer in Mozambique’s fight against disease. The country has strengthened health care delivery in underserved areas by equipping community health workers and their supervisors with essential digital tools. With improved adherence to clinical guidelines, real-time data sharing and better resource allocation, upSCALE saves lives and shapes the future of public health in Mozambique.

– Axtin Bullock

Axtin is based in Georgetown, MA, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Hakainde Hichilema’s Push for Digital Inclusion in Zambia

Hakainde Hichilema’s Push for Digital Inclusion in Zambia At the start of 2024, roughly two-thirds of Zambia’s population lacked reliable access to the internet, highlighting a critical barrier to national development. In light of this issue, Hakainde Hichilema, the president of Zambia, has established ambitious goals to connect his nation to the internet and bring Zambia into the digital age. President Hichilema and his government aim for 80% digital inclusion in Zambia by 2026.

What is Digital Inclusion?

Digital inclusion encompasses more than just internet access. It integrates digital literacy training to navigate the internet, high-quality tech support and access to applications that maximize the utility of internet access. Digital inclusion also incorporates measures that combat poverty. For example, easier access to job opportunities that someone without internet access might not discover. President Hichilema has diligently worked to tackle poverty in Zambia by enhancing digital connectivity through a variety of measures.

Hakainde Hichilema and Key Government Initiatives

Hakainde Hichilema has been the leader of Zambia’s United Party for National Development since 2006. He grew up in a rural community in the Monze District of Zambia, a region that he is now helping gain widespread access to reliable internet. His presidency is committed to pioneering how Zambia’s government can fight poverty by improving digital connectivity.

While running for president, he focused on education, jobs and digital inclusion in Zambia. His plan to improve digital inclusion in Zambia includes tax incentives, improvements to digital infrastructure, partnerships with companies for access to satellites, foreign partnerships with wealthier nations and building a free wi-fi network that all Zambians, including the poor, can take advantage of.

The details of these initiatives are as follows:

  • Taxes. President Hichilema has instituted tax waivers on ICT equipment to spur private sector investment. This has yielded $54 million in investment. As companies invest capital in the country, it stimulates the economy. In the long term, it fosters a tax base that can subsequently fund various social programs that address poverty and assist those most in need.
  • Infrastructure. Zambia’s government plans to link itself to all eight of its neighboring countries via high-capacity optic fiber cables. This is in addition to the 379 communication towers Zambia plans to erect, primarily in rural areas. Zambia has also launched a 5G network through collaboration with MTN and Huawei. These measures will greatly improve Zambia’s Wi-Fi network infrastructure, linking every citizen nationwide to the internet and enabling them to obtain information that was once inaccessible.
  • Satellites. Zambia has collaborated with Starlink to deliver affordable internet services to underserved communities. Through this collaboration, many rural communities now access the internet at public libraries, schools and hospitals. Starlink’s satellites provide internet access to hospitals, empowering them to acquire up-to-date information regarding medications or new health guidelines. Doctors can communicate with patients via online communication platforms. This allows them to support their patients should any issues arise after visits. This system closely mirrors practices in the United States (U.S.), where a doctor remains accessible weeks after a visit if issues emerge.
  • National Free Wi-Fi. ZamFree is an initiative to extend free Wi-Fi to Zambians in key public spaces, including markets, schools, airports and hospitals. Liquid Telecom, another organization working to broaden Wi-Fi access in Zambia, champions Hichilema’s plan to link 1,291 secondary schools to the internet. Free Wi-Fi narrows the divide between the rich and the poor. Individuals experiencing poverty can leverage the internet to participate in job training programs or enroll in school. As their skillset grows, they can secure employment and address workforce gaps more easily.
  • International Partnerships. The African Development Bank has considered establishing its headquarters in Zambia. This would not only generate jobs but also transform Zambia into a major hub for expanding internet access across much of Africa. President Hichilema has also initiated collaboration with the Czech Republic. The aim is to establish scholarships for professionals specializing in IT, AI and cybersecurity. These partnerships strengthen Zambia’s relationship with countries worldwide, enhancing diplomacy.

Ending Poverty with the Use of Digital Tools

Improvements to internet infrastructure in Zambia carry the potential to fight poverty by improving digital connectivity and empowering more people to utilize the internet. Indeed, doctors in hospitals can leverage the internet to reach patients, extending health care access to those facing unreliable transportation or mobility issues. Teachers can engage students across all levels of education, from pre-K through college. Overall, these examples, among many others, highlight the potential to fight poverty through improved digital inclusion in Zambia.

– Jeff Mathwig

Jeff is based in Philadelphia, PA, USA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr