Inside UNICEF’s Digital Tool Selection Guidebook for Health Campaigns

CommCare has been recognized in UNICEF’s Digital Tool Selection Guidebook for Health Campaigns, a newly released resource on health campaign digitalization. Having contributed to the guidebook alongside UNICEF and the Clinton Health Access Initiative over the past year, I’ve gained valuable perspective on where the global health community is heading, and why our approach at Dimagi resonates.

Universal campaign challenges

The guidebook development process reinforced what we’ve observed across two decades of campaign work: whether it’s malaria vector control, mass drug administration, or immunization drives, the fundamental challenges remain consistent.

Coverage gaps, workforce coordination complexities, supply chain disruptions, and data quality issues plague campaigns regardless of geography or disease focus. These interconnected problems require integrated solutions, not piecemeal fixes.

Field-tested at scale

Our experience speaks to this integrated approach.

In Malawi, our cStock system achieved 80%+ reporting rates among nearly 4,000 community health workers, transforming supply chain visibility. In Mozambique, we’ve empowered over 1,000 community health workers, known as Agentes Polivalentes Elementares, with integrated case management tools.

These deployments have taught us that successful campaign digitalization requires offline-first architecture, multilingual support, multimedia integration for varied literacy levels, and seamless interoperability with existing health systems like DHIS2. The guidebook shares frameworks, a tool selection matrix, and ready-to-use tools across the different phases of campaign work.

Beyond the technology

What emerged clearly during the guidebook discussions was that technology alone doesn’t guarantee success. The most sophisticated platform fails without proper implementation support, genuine partnership, and sustained capacity building.

This human-centered approach has always been central to Dimagi’s work. Our expert services team focuses not just on deployment, but on building local capacity that ensures sustainable impact.

Security and standards

Campaign digitalization demands uncompromising security. CommCare maintains SOC-2 compliance, HIPAA certification, GDPR compliance, and AES-256 encryption, not checkboxes to tick but commitments to protecting the communities we serve.

Looking forward

The growing recognition of digital tools’ potential to improve campaign effectiveness is encouraging. But as the UNICEF guidebook emphasizes, success depends on thoughtful implementation, which involves understanding field realities, building genuine partnerships, and maintaining focus on sustainable capacity building.

CommCare’s recognition in this guidebook affirms that the strongest campaign solutions balance technical sophistication with usability, and robust functionality with flexible customization. To see how our experience in digital health campaigns aligns with the guidebook’s frameworks, explore our work with partners across Africa and beyond.