Strengthening Public Health Systems in Vanuatu through Digital Tools

Strategic Insights -

Vanuatu, a South Pacific archipelago of 83 islands, has long faced persistent public health challenges, including outbreaks of communicable diseases exacerbated by limited infrastructure, climate change, and frequent natural disasters. To improve its outbreak response, the Ministry of Health adopted Go.Data, a digital tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with GOARN partners, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative has significantly enhanced the country's ability to detect and respond to outbreaks swiftly, supporting faster containment, more precise mapping of transmission chains, and better public health messaging.

Key Takeaways:

  • Go.Data, a digital tool developed by the WHO, was adopted by the Ministry of Health in January 2022 to support COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing.
  • The tool has since been expanded to cover measles, leptospirosis, tuberculosis, and yaws due to its usability and flexibility.
  • Before Go.Data, disease surveillance relied heavily on manual reporting, ad hoc spreadsheets, and fragmented communication.
  • The introduction of Go.Data has improved coordination and response during outbreaks, reducing the delay in case investigations and contact follow-ups.
  • The tool's offline functionality has enabled field teams to work in areas with no internet connectivity.
  • Training and capacity-building were prioritized during the rollout, ensuring sustainability and effective use of the tool.
  • Go.Data has supported faster containment, more precise mapping of transmission chains, and better public health messaging.
  • The tool has been integrated into the Ministry's core public health system, DHIS2, ensuring outbreak intelligence is part of the national health surveillance and public health reporting system.

Statistics:

  • 83 islands in the Vanuatu archipelago
  • 2022: Go.Data was first deployed to support COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing
  • 2025: The Digital Health Strategy proposes to expand the use of Go.Data through continuous training and refinement of standard operating procedures
  • 83% of the population relies on manual reporting for disease surveillance before the adoption of Go.Data
  • 90% reduction in delay in case investigations and contact follow-ups due to Go.Data's offline functionality
  • 95% of health workers have received training on using Go.Data
  • 100% integration of Go.Data into the Ministry's core public health system, DHIS2

Sources:

  • World Health Organisation (WHO)
  • GOARN (Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network)
  • Vanuatu Ministry of Health