Developing the IoT to Support the Health Sector: A Case Study from Kikwit, DR Congo

Effective implementation and evaluation of development projects depends on access to accurate, complete, and timely information about the outcomes of project implementation. We explore the proposition that next-generation ICTs offer solutions for development actors operating in decentralised and extremely low-power environments to improve data collection, monitoring, and project feedback. This paper describes the potential integration of novel distributed monitoring technologies and techniques within the health sector in developing countries, and in particular the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for monitoring widely distributed projects in areas with little or no infrastructure. We discuss the application of an emerging low-power wide area networking technology, LoRa, which is ideally suited to resource-limited contexts due to its low cost, low power usage, and long range. We describe our experiences in implementing a pilot project carried out in Kikwit, DR Congo to develop a LoRa-based wireless network to track the temperature of blood products, ensuring their security and viability through a decentralised, low-power, and low-cost monitoring system.