This community innovation has been accepted at the 2026 DHIS2 Annual Conference and will be included a session.
Connected Diagnostics: Achieve Health Equity
Effective HIV epidemic management depends on timely, accurate diagnostic data from Point-of-Care (POC) devices. However, national programmes face critical challenges maintaining operational visibility across distributed diagnostic fleets, particularly in remote areas with limited connectivity. Without continuous monitoring, programmes cannot ensure consistent device performance, detect operational issues promptly, or guarantee that diagnostic data reaches national systems securely. This session presents work completed by BAO Systems for a large POC manufacturer, connecting over 2,000 HIV diagnostic devices across seven sub-Saharan African countries. Built on DHIS2, the platform demonstrates how secure connectivity infrastructure can transform POC device management, enabling real-time operational oversight, automated data transmission, and remote device configuration even in challenging environments with intermittent network coverage. Participants will understand practical approaches to establishing secure device connectivity using store-and-forward mechanisms for unreliable mobile networks, implementing real-time fleet monitoring to identify inactive devices and protocol compliance issues, leveraging remote configuration to reduce operational overhead, and integrating consumable monitoring for improved supply-chain management. These insights apply beyond HIV to any POC diagnostic implementation. This work addresses digital health innovation, health systems strengthening, and equitable access to quality diagnostics in resource-limited settings by demonstrating how technology can bridge gaps between device deployment and sustainable programme impact. The solution represents a scalable, disease-agnostic model for POC device connectivity. Its novel combination of secure private networks, automated data validation, segregated national instances, and manufacturer performance insights creates value for patients, clinicians, and device manufacturers across diverse healthcare settings globally.
Primary Author: Rodolfo Melia
Keywords:
POC Telemetry Connected Devices IOT HIV
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