Abstract
Effective implementation and evaluation of development projects depends on access to accurate, complete, and timely information about the outcomes of project implementation. We explore the proposition that next-generation ICTs offer solutions for development actors operating in decentralised and extremely low-power environments to improve data collection, monitoring, and project feedback. This paper describes the potential integration of novel distributed monitoring technologies and techniques within the health sector in developing countries, and in particular the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for monitoring widely distributed projects in areas with little or no infrastructure. We discuss the application of an emerging low-power wide area networking technology, LoRa, which is ideally suited to resource-limited contexts due to its low cost, low power usage, and long range. We describe our experiences in implementing a pilot project carried out in Kikwit, DR Congo to develop a LoRa-based wireless network to track the temperature of blood products, ensuring their security and viability through a decentralised, low-power, and low-cost monitoring system.
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Acknowledgements
This research was partially supported by the Research Fund KU Leuven, the iMinds IoT research program, and the RINAiSense GRand FWO G.0453.15N. The second author was supported by Odysseus Grant FWO G.A005.14N. The authors wish to thank Dr Donald Mayuma and the staff of CPTS for their ongoing collaboration, Héritier Mbwabala for local assistance and logistical support, and VersaSense NV for the use of \(\mu \)PnP hardware.
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Lawrence, P.W., Phippard, T.M., Ramachandran, G.S., Hughes, D. (2018). Developing the IoT to Support the Health Sector: A Case Study from Kikwit, DR Congo. In: Belqasmi, F., Harroud, H., Agueh, M., Dssouli, R., Kamoun, F. (eds) Emerging Technologies for Developing Countries. AFRICATEK 2017. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 206. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67837-5_5
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