Integration of ICT in Disease Surveillance and Reporting Mechanisms in Zambia

Zambia's public health system is strained by frequent outbreaks of infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera. These are exacerbated by inefficiencies in disease surveillance and reporting mechanisms, which result in delayed outbreak detection and inadequate resource allocation. The reliance on manual, paper-based systems limits the availability of real-time data and hampers effective decision-making. Globally, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has transformed public health by facilitating real-time data collection, analysis, and reporting. However, Zambia has yet to fully leverage the potential of ICT due to infrastructural, technical, and policy-related challenges.

This study proposes an ICT-based framework for disease surveillance and reporting, integrating Mobile Health (mHealth), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and cloud-based platforms. A mixed-methods approach will evaluate current systems, identify gaps, and propose tailored solutions to improve real-time reporting and outbreak management. The findings will contribute to policy recommendations, improve public health outcomes, and provide a scalable model for similar low-resource settings.