SMS for Life Uses Mobile Phones to Increase Access to Essential Antimalaria Medications

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SMS for Life harnesses everyday technology to improve access to essential malaria medicines in rural areas of developing countries. It uses a combination of mobile phones, SMS messages and electronic mapping technology to track weekly stock levels at public health facilities in order to:

  • Eliminate stock-outs
  • Increase access to essential medicines
  • Reduce the number of deaths from malaria

SMS for Life is an innovative public-private partnership led by Novartis and supported by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, IBM, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Vodacom and Vodafone. The project comes under the umbrella of the global Roll Back Malaria Partnership.

Mobile App for Diagnosing Malaria

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Focusing on the millions of people at risk from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world, Lifelens is a project that has created a smartphone app to diagnose the insidious, mosquito-borne disease. The most prevalent diagnostic tool is the rapid diagnostic test RDT, which is known to be associated with a 60 percent incidence rate of false positive results. That, in turn, results in the treatment of many people who don’t actually have Malaria, driving up the costs of anti-Malaria treatment significantly. The Lifelens project aims to make the process both cheaper and more accurate by analyzing blood digitally instead. [Read more…]

Hewlett-Packard To Test Mobile Technology in Botswana Clinical Trials

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For years Hewlett-Packard has been equated with computers and printers. The company is looking to be a player in a new era of mobile health monitoring.

H.P. said on Monday that it was beginning a yearlong clinical trial in Botswana that will equip doctors and nurses with Palm Pre 2 smartphones and an application that is designed to collect information about malaria outbreaks.

Read more, via NYTimes.com.

Fighting Malaria with Mobile Phone Technology in Haiti

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Mobile phone technology is being used to bring life saving information to millions of Haitians.The Red Cross has embarked on a nationwide malaria prevention campaign, sending over 3.5 million SMS messages which include information on how malaria is transmitted, how to recognize the symptoms, treatment options, and simple steps for prevention.“There are nearly four million mobile phone subscribers in Haiti” said Sharon Reader, IFRC Beneficiary Communications delegate. “Mobile technology is a fast, easy and cost-effective way to put life-saving information directly in the hands of the population.”

Read more, via IFRC.