Ditto uses smart mesh tech to support humanitarian efforts

Technology company Ditto, recognised for its unique smart mesh networking technology that allows business applications to operate without the internet, is now using its prowess to support humanitarian efforts. ShareMy.Health, a digital health firm, is now utilising Ditto's technology in its childhood malnutrition programmes in developing countries.

With child malnutrition being the leading cause of death for children under the age of five and poor network connectivity being a significant obstacle in delivering vital health services, ShareMy.Health is bringing about a technological revolution. The organisation is implementing Ditto's offline data synchronisation technology to digitally run child nutrition services in regions where internet connection is unreliable or non-existent.

This technology, used by several airlines as an in-flight service, ensures smooth offline data synchronisation, enabling applications to operate even without internet connectivity. Now, instead of filling out complicated paperwork and hunting for network connectivity, health workers in remote areas across Africa and Asia can share timely medical data and advice regarding children's malnutrition risks.

ShareMy.Health, through Ditto's technology, has developed a mobile app that can communicate offline with nearby devices, sharing data without latency or security concerns. It results in immediate action as soon as a child's screening data is recorded in the app - a crucial factor considering the first 1,000 days of a child's life is essential to prevent irreversible brain damage and stunting. Indeed, Galen Murdock, CEO of ShareMy.Health emphasised, "Timely communication saves lives."

The technology achieves this by enabling apps to directly communicate with peer-to-peer data synchronisation even when an internet connection isn't available. For the ShareMy.Health app means gaining the capacity to use multiple network transports like Bluetooth, P2P Wi-Fi, and Local Area Networks, finding and connecting to other devices to synchronise all changes made to the medical record.

The application, equipped with Ditto technology, permits a near real-time collaboration of hundreds of ShareMy.Health users while the data is continuously synchronised between devices. Only one device needs to connect to the internet for all information to be securely saved in the cloud.

Murdock added, "We're thrilled that Ditto enables us to reach all children, everywhere, regardless of challenging internet conditions. Since Ditto utilises all radio signals to synchronise data, it is delightfully difficult to break connectivity."

The ShareMy.Health initiatives are already impacting child malnutrition in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. Plans for expansion include other African countries, the Philippines, and Latin America. Murdock states, "We've worked in communities where it might take as long as three months to provide life-saving feedback to parents due to technical and logistical challenges. ShareMy.Health has changed all that - now we can get back to parents and health workers in just seconds thanks to the brilliant engineering within Ditto."

Ditto co-founder Max Alexander concludes that the partnership with ShareMy.Health is a "major test case of how Ditto's daisy chaining and offline data synchronisation delivers resilience and high performance in difficult conditions."