Information technology has become an essential part of outbreak management, but its true value shows when it is adapted to local realities/contexts. During the COVID-19 response in refugee camps, I witnessed how health informatics could make a meaningful difference despite many challenges. Camps were overcrowded, people moved frequently, electricity and internet were unreliable and much of the response relied on trained camp-based assistants such as medics and community health workers. To address these challenges, we developed a Health Information System (HIS) for our team/organization (including managers, HIS/database officers, M&E, lab, nurses, community outreach) tailored specifically to this setting.

Outbreak Detection: With no reliable online platforms, community health workers recorded symptoms and case information on paper, which were later entered into the HIS whenever connectivity was available. The system was not sophisticated but it allowed us to detect unusual clusters of fever or respiratory illness quickly and act before situations escalated.

Response: The HIS also helped us allocate scarce resources more effectively. By tracking suspected and confirmed cases across camp zones, we could prioritize where to send test kits, open isolation areas, or reinforce protective measures. Sharing this same data with partners and authorities improved coordination and reduced duplication, ensuring more consistent and timely responses. By doing so, this helped us avoid problems of fragmentation such as duplicated or inconsistent data, communication gap, and delays in response. Using the same data across partners also made coordination and collaboration smoother.

Control: Just as importantly, the information proved useful for the communities themselves. When clusters were identified, community health workers used the data to deliver targeted health messages in affected areas. This built trust and encouraged adherence to preventive measures, an essential factor in such fragile environments.

From this experience, I learned that health informatics is about having systems which can be integrated, interoperable, sharing, collaborative, and representative that can turn information into effective action. In refugee camps, a locally designed HIS combined with the dedication of community health workers became one of our most effective system for COVID-19 detection, response, and control.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the full extent of technology usage in health management. Although it is pandemic, it started as small outbreaks in my country especially, we called them first and second waves of COVID-19. At the beginning, positive case detection is very critical. At the onset, timely detection of positive cases was crucial. Laboratory confirmations were typically available by early evening, reported to the central disease control unit shortly thereafter, and followed by immediate quarantine measures by local authorities. Such rapid outbreak detection and response were enabled by digital reporting platforms and real-time information dissemination systems.

Vaccination is the most effective control method in COVID-19. In Myanmar, first batch of vaccination was conducted to healthcare workers as they are the front line personnels during the pandemic. The certification and validation of massive vaccination in short period can be only possible by modern technologies. In Myanmar, unique identifier (Master Patient Index – MPI) was planned to roll out with the nationwide vaccination campaign. Digital vaccination card, anonymous contact tracing features released by Apple and Google for their iOS and android platforms and event or location check-in using QR code were considered for more effective and efficient contact tracing. Although those plans were shattered by the country’s political instability, it evidently showed that technology became a vital tool for outbreak management of any communicable diseases.

Moreover, telemedicine and robotic delivery proved to be very useful in monitoring and treatment of complicated patients during COVID-19 pandemic. It evolves into a new culture of virtual training and virtual meetings. Those are quick and effective ways of outbreak detection, response and control as compared to conventional training and meetings.