title: Use of Mobile Information Technology during Planning, Implementation and Evaluation of a Polio Campaign in South Sudan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of mobile information technology may aid collection of real-time, standardised data to inform and improve decision-making for polio programming and response. We utilised Android-based smartphones to collect data electronically from more than 8,000 households during a national round of polio immunisation in South Sudan. The results of the household surveys are presented here, together with discussion of the application of mobile information technology for polio campaign planning, implementation and evaluation in a real-time setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic questionnaires were programmed onto Android-based smartphones for mapping, supervision and survey activities during a national round of polio immunisation. National census data were used to determine the sampling frame for each activity and select the payam (district). Individual supervisors, in consultation with the local district health team, selected villages and households within each payam. Data visualisation tools were utilised for analysis and reporting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Implementation of mobile information technology and local management was feasible during a national round of polio immunisation in South Sudan. Red Cross visits during the polio campaign were equitable according to household wealth index and households who received a Red Cross visit had significantly higher odds of being aware of the polio campaign than those who did not. Nearly 95% of children under five were reported to have received polio immunisation (according to maternal recall) during the immunisation round, which varied by state, county and payam. A total of 11 payams surveyed were identified with less than 90% reported immunisation coverage and the least poor households had significantly higher odds of being vaccinated than the most poor. More than 95% of households were aware of the immunisation round and households had significantly higher odds of being vaccinated if they had prior awareness of the campaign taking place.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-campaign community education and household awareness of polio is important to increase campaign participation and subsequent immunisation coverage in South Sudan. More emphasis should be placed on ensuring immunisation is equitable according to geographic area and household socio-economic index in future rounds. We demonstrate the utility of mobile information technology for household mapping, supervision and survey activities during a national round of polio immunisation and encourage future studies to compare the effectiveness of electronic data collection and its application in polio planning and programming.
authors.affiliation: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Eastern African and Indian Ocean Islands Delegation, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haskew
authors.affiliation: South Sudan Red Cross Society, Juba, South Sudan.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kenyi
authors.affiliation: South Sudan Red Cross Society, Juba, South Sudan.
authors.forename: Juma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: William
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Juba, South Sudan.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alum
authors.affiliation: UNICEF, Juba, South Sudan.
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Juba, South Sudan.
authors.forename: Yehia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.affiliation: American Red Cross, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005843:Geography; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068997:Smartphone; D012923:Social Class; D000068037:South Sudan; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines