Mobile-First Online Surveys in Africa’s Health Sector: Opportunities and Challenges: Mobile-First Online Surveys in Africa’s Health Sector

Bernardus Franco Maseke

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v6i6.1523

Authors

Bernardus Franco Maseke University of Namibia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v6i6.1523

Keywords:

Mobile-First Surveys, Health Data Collection, Digital Health in Africa, mHealth Innovations, Data Privacy and Ethics, Resource-Constrained Environments

Abstract

This paper explores the growing adoption of mobile-first online surveys in Africa’s health sector, highlighting their potential to improve data collection in resource-constrained environments. With increasing mobile phone penetration across the continent, mobile-first surveys offer a cost-effective and efficient method for gathering health-related data from diverse populations. This study examines the opportunities presented by mobile-first surveys in reaching underserved communities, improving response rates, and enabling real-time data collection. It also addresses challenges such as digital literacy, network infrastructure, language diversity, and data privacy concerns. The paper concludes with practical recommendations to optimize the use of mobile-first surveys in health research across Africa and identifies key areas for future research.

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Mobile-First Online Surveys in Africa’s Health Sector: Opportunities and Challenges