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Many new HIV cases are lost to follow-up before they can be enrolled in care and treatment programs. This report summarises a proof-of-concept evaluation of a mHealth intervention which aims to improve linkage of newly diagnosed HIV cases to care. The design was a randomised controlled multi-center trial enrolling consenting patients in clinics in Inner-city Johannesburg. The trial developed and tested the "SmartLink" app which is designed to make laboratory data directly available to patients via a secure account and send them appointment reminder and notifications on their smartphone. The primary endpoint was linkage to care in the first 8 months after diagnosis, as evidenced by a HIV-related laboratory test. The report provides the key findings on phone ownership of the target group, and which demographics can best be reached via apps and data-based communication (which is cheaper and offers more scope than text messaging). The app worked best in younger HIV patients under 30 years of age, who had their linkage to HIV care improved by 20 percent through the app. This younger age group is difficult to reach with traditional interventions, and reacted positively to a technology solution. The unique feature of this custom-made app (sending real-time CD4/VL test data from the laboratory database to HIV clients) is highly scalable among smartphone owners.

Health project design and implementation --- Health service management and delivery --- Health, nutrition and population --- Ict applications --- Information and communication technologies

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Artificial intelligence (AI) - the science of making machines act in rational, intelligent ways is rapidly making inroads into business operations and society. AI is already being applied in many areas of our lives, with high penetration in financial services followed by e-commerce, healthcare, education, agriculture, and manufacturing. Emerging markets can benefit significantly from AI: Its applications are providing new ways to leapfrog infrastructure gaps and solve pressing development challenges in critical sectors. This report explores the latest AI applications and trends in emerging markets and includes several examples of how AI is expanding opportunities and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. It also sheds light on how investors, clients, and governments can harness its full potential while minimizing its risks, when managed effectively and with safeguards in place, AI can facilitate private investment to reduce poverty and improve lives at a pace inconceivable only a decade ago.

Artificial Intelligence --- ICT Applications --- ICT Policy and Strategies --- Information and Communication Technologies --- Science and Technology Development --- Technology Innovation

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Digital identification systems, integrated with civil registration, can play a transformational role across many development areas, such as financial inclusion, expanding access to services and social safety nets, and effective humanitarian response. But while the opportunity is great, so are the risks. One set of risks results from collecting, using, and managing personal data, which creates serious privacy challenges. Risks also include: (1) Incorrect or inaccurate data collection, leading to mistaken identity or unjust treatment; (2) Data collected for one purpose being used for another purpose without the user's consent; and (3) Unauthorized or inappropriate transfer of data between government agencies, governments, and even with third non-governmental parties. The importance of data privacy in building digital ID systems is highlighted in the Principles on Identification developed by the World Bank in 2017. These principles have been signed onto by more than 20 international organizations and development partners as being fundamental to maximizing the benefits of identification systems for sustainable development.

E-Government --- E-Health --- Governance --- ICT applications --- ICT legal and regulatory framework --- Information and communication technologies --- Privacy

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This paper makes several contributions. First, it presents a 'guidance note' on the framework for Social Registries, anchoring the definition of these systems in their functions along the Delivery Chain and their social policy role as inclusion systems, while clarifying terminology in a manner that is consistent with IT standards in the discussion of their architecture as information systems. Second, it illustrates the diverse typologies and trajectories of country experiences with Social Registries with respect to their (a) institutional arrangements (central and local); (b) use as inclusion systems (coverage, single or multi-program use, static or dynamic intake and registration); and (c) structure as information systems (structure of data management; degree and us of interoperability with other systems). These patterns primarily derive from a review of Social Registries in a sample of 20 countries), (Azerbaijan, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Djibouti, Georgia, Indonesia, Macedonia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Pakistan, the Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Turkey, and Yemen). The paper also draws on experience in other countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Egypt, Jordan, Vietnam, India, Estonia, Belgium, the US, Canada, Australia, and others) to illustrate specific points. Third, this paper develops a basic 'Assessment Tool' covering the core building blocks of Social Registries using a 'checklist' style of questions. Given the wide diversity of Social Registries in both their role in social policy and in their architecture, the approach is not prescriptive: it does not advocate for any specific model or blueprint for Social Registries. Any diagnostics or recommendations that emerge from use of this Guidance Note and Assessment Tool will be country specific. Some key take-away messages include: (a) the importance of recognizing both the role of the 'front lines' for outreach, intake and registration (Social Registries as inclusion systems) and the 'back office' functions of Social Registries as information systems; (b) the potential power of Social Registries as integrated and dynamic gateways for inclusion; (c) the recognition that Social Registries are generally part of end-to-end systems for specific programs, integrated social protection information systems, and/or even 'whole-of-government' approaches; and (d) there is significant diversity in the typology and trajectories of Social Registries across countries and over time.

ICT Applications. --- Information and Communication Technologies --- Social Development --- Social Inclusion --- Social Inclusion & Institutions --- Social Protections & Assistance --- Social Protections and Labor

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This evaluation's objective was to assess how effectively the World Bank has supported development data production, sharing, and use, and to suggest ways to improve its approach. This evaluation defines development data as data produced by country systems, the World Bank, or third parties on countries' social, economic, and environmental issues. At the global level, the World Bank has a strong reputation in development data and has been highly effective in data production. It produces influential, widely used data and cross-country indicators that fill important niches, benchmark countries, and stimulate research and policy action. The World Bank has also taken a prominent leadership role in global data partnerships so far. However, the World Bank needs to determine its future role carefully because the global partnership landscape is becoming more uncertain-as old partnerships phase out, the complementarity of new partnerships is unclear. This makes the World Bank's future role especially pivotal because the sustainability of funding from global data partnerships at both the national level and for some global data efforts is at risk. Without sustained funding, past progress will be in jeopardy, as observed in some countries where data quality worsened when trust fund support ended. At the national level, the World Bank has been mostly effective at fostering its client countries' data production through its own financing and through financing from small trust fund grants. It has been less effective in promoting data sharing; while the World Bank has used its leverage in some of its client countries, it needs to do a better job at encouraging other countries to share data. The World Bank has been even less effective in promoting data use by governments and citizens. The World Bank's systemwide approach to building the capacity of national statistical organizations yielded significant successes in countries where it was deployed, and it should now add a focus on building subnational capacity and strengthening client countries' administrative data systems. The World Bank needs to make sure it clearly understands when and how big data can complement traditional data in answering key development questions related to its mission, and use big data analytics appropriately to underpin its own decisions and to ensure that it supports its country clients effectively in big data use. The World Bank still needs to address the implications for organizing big data work internally, entering into corporate agreements with private providers (typically the producers of big data), and seriously considering and addressing privacy and ethical concerns related to big data use.

Big Data --- Digital Divide --- ICT Applications --- ICT Policy and Strategies --- Information and Communication Technologies --- Science and Technology Development