Using information technology to spread awareness about communicable diseases

Over time, changes in lifestyles, surroundings, and presence of parasites in the developed and developing world has resulted in new strains of various communicable diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, etc. Even though the global average of diseases may be quite low, the concentration in certain countries is much higher. In developed countries, information technology has proved to be an indispensable tool to spread awareness regarding these communicable diseases; however, most developing countries lack the infrastructure needed to use these same resources to educate people about the prevention, symptoms, and treatment available. This chapter makes the following contributions: first, it outlines some of the critical challenges regarding the spread of communicable diseases. It then identifies and summarizes the various information systems strategies used in developed and developing countries. The conclusion ties these together and offers suggestions to further curb the spread of communicable diseases in developing countries.