::back to table of contents:: M-Governance: A Mobile Computing Framework for Integrated Disease Surveillance In India
link to pdf document Shashank Garg, Diatha Krishna Sundar, Isha Garg
full paper Abstract: A critical aspect of preventing an outbreak of a communicable or non-communicable disease is the early detection and investigation of such disease. With most outbreaks starting in small clusters, if a cluster is detected and investigated early, its spread could be prevented. The Government of India launched the National Programme for Surveillance of Communicable Diseases (NPSC) in 1995 with the goal of creating a sustainable and efficient disease surveillance system that could detect and respond in a timely manner. While disease control programmes have existed for diseases such as Malaria, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, Lymphatic filariasis and HIV/AIDS, locally prevalent infectious diseases were not part of any system till this programme started. It is well accepted that a decentralized disease surveillance system, with strong emphasis on local action for disease control, is the most effective bulwark against the spread of outbreaks. Mobile computing and other information and communication technologies have a significant role to play in the deployment of early detection and medical intervention systems.
  Keywords: M-Government framework, disease surveillance, tuberculosis control programme, public health-care, mobile computing, ontology, citizen identity.