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Africa: Tech Gaps and Budget Cuts Threaten Global Efforts to Track and Help the Vulnerable

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Africa: Tech Gaps and Budget Cuts Threaten Global Efforts to Track and Help the Vulnerable


Digital tools are changing the way countries manage everything from tracking refugees to caring for the elderly.

But as nations gather at the UN this week to discuss the future of our population growth, two major hurdles are taking centre stage: a lack of funding and a widening gap between those who have access to new technology and those who do not.

For almost two decades, Nigeria has grappled with large-scale displacement of people in the country’s restive northeast, with around two million people forced from their homes.


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Responding to this humanitarian crisis is a huge undertaking, compounded by climate shocks, disease outbreaks and shrinking aid budgets.

Tracking matrix

Historically, a lack of reliable information about the displaced people has hampered efforts to help them but, in recent years, the government has made use of the Displacement Tracking Matrix, a tool developed by the UN migration agency (IOM), which has allowed them to accurately assess the number of internally displaced persons, their locations and their specific needs.

Today, the tool supports decision-makers and humanitarian responders in some 91 countries worldwide, underscoring the growing importance of technology in the area of population research.

The role of technology will be central to discussions at the latest session of the Commission on Population and Development, taking place at UN Headquarters this week, from 13 to 17 April.

Whilst digital tools such as the matrix are expanding access to information, they are also creating new challenges, including a growing digital divide, data-privacy risks, misinformation and technology-facilitated violence.

These urgent issues will also be addressed during the session.

Tech is changing how people live and age

The talks are guided by three reports from UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The first highlights how digital tools are transforming access to healthcare, education, jobs and information: medical technologies are extending life expectancy, while changes in work and communication are influencing where people live, when they have children and how families are formed.

The Secretary-General also cautions that many people, particularly in low-income countries, rural areas and marginalised communities, still lack access to the internet, digital services and modern health technologies.

These gaps – often called the digital divide – risk deepening inequality between and within countries. Women, older persons and people with disabilities are often the most affected.

The second report focuses on ageing societies and the growing demand for elder-care services, geriatric medical specialists, and the use of assistive technologies. To prepare, countries must strengthen their internet infrastructure, expand the use of digital tools and invest in science and technology training.

Several countries have launched innovative digital health care initiatives to improve knowledge about migration and humanitarian needs, including during crises such as pandemics and natural disasters.

Examples include Bangladesh‘s mHealth project, which uses SMS to connect mothers with healthcare advice, India‘s eSanjeevani platform, which has delivered over 150 million telemedicine sessions, and Nepal‘s SITA AI, developed by the UN sexual and reproductive rights agency (UNFPA), which rapidly analyses national datasets to produce detailed reports and briefs.