Background/Objectives
U-Report
is a social monitoring tool for community participation, designed to address
issues that people care about. SMS polls and alerts are sent out to U-Reporters, real-time response
information is collected, and results are shared. Following the outbreak of EVD in the Democratic Republic of Congo
in August 2018, the Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH)
has used U-Report to reinforce key Ebola messages, provide feedback to
communities in real time, and as a mechanism for accountability to affected
populations.
Description of Intervention
Through the network of 98,635
U-Reporters in 22 Ebola high risk districts, the Ministry of Heath used
U-Report to share key Ebola messages with communities. The platform has also been used to respond
to questions and issues from communities and provide real time referrals to
available services in their communities. Communities also use the tool to share
valuable information on Ebola such as reports of suspected cases of Ebola. Responses
to individual questions and verification of reports is undertaken by the Ministry
of Health Call Centre and Uganda Red Cross Society through individual U-Partners
dashboards. As part of Accountability
to Affected Populations, communities provide feedback on service
delivery, which is used to assess the effectiveness of services and adjust
communication content such as talking points for
radio talk shows, frequently asked questions, and to identify rumors which
inform risk communication interventions.
Results/lessons learned
U-Report
can be used to reach large numbers of people in a short period of time during
emergencies. U-Report reached 98,635 people with Ebola
information. The platform can be used to address myths, rumors and
misconceptions through real time individual responses using the U-Partners
dashboard, relieving
the panic caused by mixed and erroneous messages. We have responded to over
5,000 Ebola related issues across the country. U-report provided
linkages to surveillance components for Ebola preparedness and response by
providing alerts about suspected cases reported from communities. Another key aspect
included real-time feedback to the U-reporters although cost related challenges
were noted as a key hindering factor for wider use and scale up.
Discussion/Implications for the
Field
U-Report
is a tool that can be used to meet the high demand for information and urgent
need to interact with affected populations during emergencies. The platform is
fast, reaches many people at once and provides opportunities for direct
communication with affected people.
