the OneImpact Zimbabwe icon
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
Technological advancement has revolutionised the health sector, improving how diseases are detected, treated and managed.
From digital health records and telemedicine, to advanced diagnostic tools and artificial intelligence, technology has made healthcare more efficient, accurate and accessible.
Patients can now consult doctors remotely, receive faster diagnoses and benefit from innovative treatments that were once impossible.
And these developments have not only saved lives but also enhanced the overall quality of healthcare delivery worldwide.
In Zimbabwe, one application has helped in the management of Tuberculosis (TB) and since its launch in 2023, users have lauded it as a “game changer.”
The OneImpact Zimbabwe Community-Led Monitoring application, is currently on available on Play Store and App Store, and plans are still afoot for it to be available on feature phones (none smart phones), as the country pushes with its fight to eliminate TB by 2030.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs.
It is spread through the air when people with TB cough, sneeze or spit.
Further reports are that a total of 1,25 million people died from TB in 2023 and in the same year, an estimated 10,8 million people fell ill with TB worldwide, including 6 million men, 3,6 million women and 1,3 million children.
In a recent interview on the OneImpact Zimbabwe CLM, Peter Dube, Jointed Hands Welfare Organisation (JHWO) Programmes Manager, said this digital innovation will go a long way in spreading information on TB as well as fighting stigma.
“Since 2023 after OneImpact was launched in Zimbabwe to enhance the use of digital technologies in the TB response focusing on those directly affected by TB, government policy makers, media, human rights organisations and international organisations are working to drive meaningful change and contribute to the UNHLAM (United Nations High Level Meeting) TB targets and commitments.
“OneImpact is more than CLM, as it has modules on getting to know your rights, getting information, getting access, getting connected, reporting an issue and conducting a survey,” said Dube.
Asked if this application had positively changed the management of TB, Dube was unequivocal: “Yes. Especially in monitoring human rights violations, TB stigma, barriers to TB health services and barriers to TB support services.
“With or without funding, OneImpact continues to benefit many”
Dube however lamented that Stop Work Orders (SWO) had hindered the full implementation of the OneImpact application and its availability on feature phones.
“OneImpact is still accessible on smart phones only. The SWO affected work for having OneImpact on phones that aren’t smart phones (zvimbudzi).
“OneImpact was meaningfully introduced to 15 Districts and currently TB Champions are introducing it across the country with no funding.
“Funding is required for meaningfully introducing the platform as done in the 15 Districts
It was added that apart from spreading information on TB, the application also helps to allay fears of stigma and discrimination among people that are affected by TB.
During a sensitization meeting on the application, Dube said while it (application) was present in other countries, in Zimbabwe they (JHWO) collaborated with the Ministry of Health and Child Care ICT department and “decided to be very specific with our own application and we called it, the OneImpact Zimbabwe Community-led Monitoring application.”
“So you will notice that when you get into the application itself, it has a number of modules, the Get to know your rights module, for instance right to health, right to life, and other rights.
“There is a module on Get Connected, for instance you want to be connected to other people who have lived experiences on TB, you can get into that module, there is the Get Access module, where you want to know the facilities that are closest to you, where you will be.
“It (application) has a google map, which will show you the facilities which will be closest where you will be, not only in this country but even outside, so it can do that for you and that is another good thing about it.
“And of course, the other module that is critical is the module where you are Reporting an issue. Maybe you are failing to access services because there is something that is happening at that particular facility.
“So you want then to raise this as an alarm to say I’m failing to get my services from this particular facility because either it’s attitude of the healthcare stuff there or it’s because that facility doesn’t have the TB medicines that you require or there are no testing equipment at that facility.”
He added that the aim is also to show that TB is a curable disease.
“And if you go to the nearest facility, you should get assistance; you should be put on treatment if you have it, so if all these things are not happening at a facility then you can report that as an issue so that it can be addressed by the authorities.
“Because they (authorities) may not know that you are failing to access services because there is a barrier that’s blocking you.
“So OneImpact application is one way of reporting that issue so that it is addressed,” added Dube.
Dube also revealed that from time to time, they run surveys on the application so as to assess whether or not people are getting quality services across the country.
He also revealed that the application was also capable of being used for other disease as this is one of the ways to improve the digital health strategy.
“The application has room for hanging other diseases as well not just TB. You can have HIV there, you can have malaria there, we do have a survey on multiple myeloma, one kind of cancer that’s also affecting elderly people.
“So we are also thinking of including these on the application because it’s a user friendly application and many people like it because of the way it is set up, so we are currently just giving people information on TB because of the magnitude of TB in the country.”
Contacted for comment, Stanley Sibanda, a TB Advocate said since introduction of the application, TB management had really improved.
“OneImpact has transformed the face of Tuberculosis management in Zimbabwe.
“After it’s introduction, we saw changes even in the attitude of healthcare workers as far as stigma in health facilities is concerned.
“That rich information contained in the OneImpact application has been vital in changing attitudes towards TB patients.
“As Community Cadres, we continue benefiting from up to date TB information contained in the OneImpact application, and we use it in our day to day work in communities and at health facilities.
“We still continue linking with other TB Survivors through the WhatsApp section available on the application. We really appreciate this innovation,” said Sibanda.
Moreni Masanzu, National Coordinator for TB Survivors said the application had really helped in terms of accessing TB information.
She however lamented the issue of funding cuts, which had affected TB programmes, hence the application has not been implemented fully.
“OneImpact really helped us because it has so much information on TB, many people really access it for that benefit.
“During the launch and sensitization, many people got to access it, making use of it, but right now it is low because there is no TB funding and it is now so low that one would think there is no TB to talk of.
“So many activities were disrupted, programmes were disrupted so to have that information shared with others is a challenge because there are no resources.
“So OneImpact was really helpful in that one could access the information on their own but now the challenge is that people may not have data to access it.
“But those who have the data, may not be able to get the chance to share the information with other community members,” said Masanzu.
She added that the application is also a challenge to be accessed by those people in the rural areas or hard to reach areas.
“Some of the people in the rural areas or hard to reach areas don’t have the smart phones so they can’t download and make use of it, so that now becomes a barriers because it cannot be accessed by all those who are supposed to access it.
“So to counter that challenge, we have are now making sure that when we have HIV activities in the communities, we take time to share information about TB and the information that is shared will be from the OneImpact application.
“Though it is not reaching everyone because of the resource constraints, this application has really been helpful,” added Masanzu.
