Mobile health to expand to 22 sub-Saharan countries

The United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation's Technology Partnership is expanding its mobile health (mHealth) program to 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

To achieve the full benefits of technology, Technology Partnership has entered into agreements with DataDyne.org and the World Health Organization (WHO) to expand the use of EpiSurveyor, an open-source application that helps health-care workers track health data.

Developed by DataDyne, EpiSurveyor is easily adaptable by workers in the field and can be downloaded to handheld devices. Successful pilot programs in Kenya and Zambia were followed by training sessions in Benin, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda, and an additional 11 countries will be added to that list by the end of the year.

EpiSurveyor allows health workers in urban and rural areas to easily collect, manage and share clean and timely program monitoring data, said Balcha Girma Masresha, medical officer in WHO's African immunization program.

Its successful implementation has greatly improved the timeliness and availability of health-care data, making it easier to strengthen district level health-care programs involving immunizations against malaria and other preventative programs aimed at improving public health, the Technology Partnership said.

"The introduction of this technology is enabling health workers to better understand and identify the strengths and shortcomings of their programs. Then, they can actively work toward continuous improvement," said Masresha.

Technology has a major role to play in enabling the international community to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals for health, including reducing child and maternal mortality, said Andrew Dunnett, director of the Vodafone Foundation.

The Technology Partnership program is designed to bring innovative use of technology to bear in helping the United Nations and the worldwide community solve some of the greatest public health challenges faced today, Dunnett said.

The Technology Partnership has committed over US$2 million to develop the mHealth program, and the funds provide direct support for in-country activities and for software development and support from DataDyne.org.

"We are proud of our partnership with The Vodafone Foundation that supports the hard work of the UN World Health Organization and national ministries of health, and the technological innovation of DataDyne.org," said Kathy Bushkin Calvin, chief operating officer of the United Nations Foundation.