In many developing countries, lack of timely and accurate data is one of the greatest obstacles to overcoming long-standing public health challenges. In regions without computers or even electricity, vital health data is still collected on paper—a process which can take months or even years, and is subject to high rates of error.

To enable governments and health workers to collect time-sensitive health data electronically, without the need for outside consultants, the UN Foundation & Vodafone Foundation Partnership funded DataDyne.org's development of the EpiSurveyor mHealth tool. The software can be easily uploaded at no cost and used by healthcare professionals anywhere to instantly record and analyze real-time health data.

Working with the UN World Health Organization, African ministries of health and DataDyne.org, the Technology Partnership's Mobile Health (mHealth) for Development program is harnessing the power of mobile technology to improve healthcare in some of the most remote and resource-poor regions of the world.

The mHealth program is now active in over 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where EpiSurveyor is being used on mobile phones to track crucial data—from the availability of medical supplies to the coverage rates of immunization campaigns. By putting the tools to improve healthcare into the hands of local health workers, this sustainable mHealth tool is empowering in-country health systems and building capacity at the local level.