In Pictures: Monitoring Welfare in Africa Using Mobile Phones

Data and evidence are crucial to monitor the progress in the fight to end extreme poverty. Traditionally, data collection is done in person through extensive household surveys but the proliferation of mobile phone network in Africa is providing an opportunity to collect vital information on the fly to help complement face-to-face surveys. The World Bank’s Listening to Africa (L2A) initiative is one such program that pilots the use of mobile phones in six African countries to regularly collect information on the living conditions.