Comparison of the Disease Surveillance Data Collection Technologies in Tanzania

Tanzania has a distributed disease surveillance infrastructure for human and animal disease surveillance that requires application of new technologies to improve surveillance data timeliness and quality. This work compares four technologies for nation-wide use in surveillance: (1) online voice, (2) SMS, (3) mobile web, and (4) Android applications on cell phones. The best technology on availability and sustainability is an Android-based application with limited availability. The mobile web is second best for capability and sustainability and is much more available. The forecast for 2016 shows significant improvement of technology availability providing strong foundation for future systems implementation in Tanzania.