The challenge of siloed health interventions and digital fragmentation
The traditional “one disease, one tool” approach has reached its limits. When every health program deploys its own digital solution, the resulting fragmentation hinders rather than helps the overarching goal of universal health coverage.
Why vertical programs lead to data and resource silos
In many contexts, a health worker might use one application for a polio vaccination campaign, another for a seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) program, and a third for distributing mosquito nets. This duplication of effort leads to “pilot fatigue” and creates data silos where information collected by one program is invisible to another, even when they target the same households.
The hidden costs of redundant digital infrastructures
Maintaining multiple digital systems is financially inefficient for Ministries of health and international partners. Each tool requires its own hosting, training, and technical support. By failing to pool resources, organizations miss out on the economies of scale that come with a unified platform. Integrated campaigns digitalization offers a path to significant cost reduction by sharing the “digital rails” across various health domains.
How fragmentation hinders real-time decision making
When data is trapped in separate systems, coordinators cannot get a holistic view of a community’s health status. Fragmented data makes it difficult to identify “zero-dose” children who might be missing out on multiple services simultaneously. Integrated data collection ensures that a single visit to a village can address multiple health needs based on real-time, consolidated evidence.
Aligning with the WHO toolkit for campaign digitalization
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the need for a more coordinated approach. Their Digitalization Toolkit provides a strategic roadmap for countries to move away from fragmented systems toward integrated, interoperable solutions.
Adopting a standard-based approach for digital health
The WHO toolkit emphasizes the importance of using tools that are flexible, scalable, and standards-compliant. Bluesquare follows these principles by ensuring that IASO supports the lifecycle of a campaign—from digital microplanning to real-time monitoring—within a framework that promotes national ownership.
IASO: a modular platform designed for integration
Unlike rigid, single-purpose apps, IASO is a generic, modular platform. It allows health supervisors to configure multiple workflows (e.g., vaccination registers, nutrition screenings, and logistics tracking) within the same environment. This flexibility means that IASO can adapt to the specific needs of any integrated campaign without requiring a complete rebuild of the software.
Sustainability through reusable digital assets
One of the core strengths of the IASO approach is the reusability of data. Once a geographic structure and target population are georeferenced for one campaign, that “base map” can be reused for the next intervention. This reduces the time and cost of preparation, turning digital tools into long-term health system assets rather than one-off campaign expenses.
Data reuse across campaigns
From polio eradication to multi-campaign excellence: a proven use case
The journey toward integration often starts with large-scale vertical programs that transition into broader platforms. Bluesquare’s work in polio eradication serves as a prime example of this evolution.
Adapting the polio calendar for integrated service delivery
In several countries, the polio calendar was adapted to include other life-saving interventions. IASO enabled the addition of parallel “tracks” within the campaign schedule. This meant that while teams were door-to-door for polio drops, they could simultaneously verify the presence of mosquito nets or screen for malnutrition, maximizing the impact of every field visit.
Poliooutbreaks platform, used by the WHO AFRO RRT team and GPEI coordinators. This is the public calendar deciphering upcoming Polio campaigns, including details such as scope, vaccine type, and target age groups.
Improving coverage through geospatial monitoring and microplanning
Precision is the enemy of fragmentation. By using geospatial features, IASO ensures that every team knows exactly which households to visit. In an integrated campaign, this precision ensures that no child is left behind across any of the services being offered, whether it is a vaccine or a nutritional supplement.
Microplan to ensure that base data is available by aggregating/collecting locations (facilities/villages/POIs), populations, health workers…
Streamlining logistics for integrated supply chains
Integrated campaigns require complex logistics. IASO allows for the tracking of various inputs—vaccine vials, SPAQ boxes for malaria, or mosquito nets—within a single dashboard. This unified view prevents stockouts and ensures that the right supplies reach the right teams at the right time, reducing waste and improving the ROI of the intervention.
Preparedness Dashboard indicating campaign preparedness levels ahead of the start date.
The operational benefits of a single platform for multiple programs
Beyond the strategic alignment, the move toward a single platform delivers immediate operational gains for the people on the front lines of global health.
Reducing the training burden for health workforces
Every new tool requires training time, which is a scarce resource. By using IASO for multiple programs, health workers only need to master one interface. This familiarity leads to higher data quality and less resistance to digital adoption, as the tool becomes a reliable companion rather than a recurring burden.
Enhancing data quality through unified validation workflows
Integrated systems allow for centralized data validation. Instead of managing five different databases, data managers can use Bluesquare’s expertise in data processing to clean and analyze information in one place. This creates a “single source of truth” that donors and governments can trust for accountability and impact reporting.
Scalability: future-proofing health systems with integrated data
As health priorities evolve, an integrated platform like IASO can easily scale to include new programs—such as hypertension screening or pandemic preparedness—without starting from scratch. By breaking down digital silos today, we are building the resilient, data-driven health systems of tomorrow.
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